Dhives Akuru - a free font

Dhives – A free Dhives Akuru font

We originally made this font as part of a April Fool’s gag we were going to publish this year. The font is a very rough first draft, so please excuse the inconsistent stroke widths and jagged edges. We intended on cleaning it up and improving it but have not managed to get around to it so far. We do not still have a firm grasp of the script but the font we are presenting here should be a great start. As far as we are aware, this is the first publicly available Dhives font.
Dhives Akuru is the script used in the Maldives until it was replaced officially by Thaana as the official script for Dhivehi. It is reported that Dhives Akuru continued to be used in some atolls until 70 years ago despite Thaana being made the official script in the 18th century. Dhives is derived from Brahmi script and, unlike Thaana, is written left-to-right.  Details on how the use and functioning of the script is hard to find. Luckily we found a gold mine on Dhives Akuru in the paper “Preliminary Proposal to Encode Dhives Akuru in ISO/IEC 10646” authored by Anshuman Pandey in 2010. It is not entirely possible to write Dhives without changes to the font engine(s) to handle the various forms, conjuncts and combinations of vowels and consonants that the script requires. We would definitely say it is a more complicated script than Thaana. For a thorough introduction to Dhives, we would highly recommend reading paper by Pandey.
Use:
Using Dhives with the font is pretty straightforward. We have mapped the characters phonetically like the popular Thaana keyboard mapping. Except for the several scenarios involving conjuncts and combinations, it is just like writing Thaana (or so we believe!).
Preview:

Dhives font overview

License:
The font is being released under the very liberal MIT license, so feel free to use, modify and distribute.
Download:
Dhives.ttf (23.2 KB)

Kaashidhoo Kuruhinna Tharaagandu

Kaashidhoo Kuruhinna Tharaagandu is an archaeological site 2–4 hours from Malé, in the island of Kaashidhoo (Kaafu Atoll), Maldives. The site is a Buddhist Monastery and is believed to have been used by pre-Islamic Maldivians dating back to 7th-8th century AD. The excavation work was done in various periods from February 1996 through 1998.During this period, an area of 1,880m2 was excavated, revea

ling 64 coral stone structures.For the vast majority, only the lower most parts have been preserved.

Kaashidhoo Kuruhinna Tharaagandu is situated just outside the houses of the village at Kaashidhoo in a plantation of coconut, papaya and banana trees. During the three excavation campaigns, an area of 1,880 square meters with 64 ruins was investigated. This is only a part of the original monastery where its total size is not known. Except for one. the structures uncovered were coarse coral stone with sand and stones. Square, rectangular, circular and semi-circular extensions arc different variations of shapes of the structures found. The sizes varied between one metre and 11.5 meters. The lowermost parts of the structures (30-40 Cm) had normally been preserved; the rest had been used as building material over the years. Numerous stones were collected during the excavations which were worked and profiled.

In a corner of a ruin, by the steps leading to it was a pit consisting of cowrie shells amounting to 62,000. These shells have been dated to AD 165-345 . Cowrie shells played an important role in the Buddhist culture and religion, Representatively as well as economically. Around AD 500, when cowrie shells spread to northern and central Europe, they were also mentioned as trading products from the Maldives, as shown in the archaeological finds in the region.

In another ruin, it is a 16-sided structure with a height of 1.3m and a diameter of 6m, with a platform at the top and a flight of stairs on the south side. This is one or the biggest and best preserved structures at the site.
In conclusion, this excavation proved that Buddhist culture was recognized in the Maldives in the first part of the first Millennium. Archaeological evidence proves that the ancient people who lived here, built large monuments, monasteries temples and dagobas, which were eventually destroyed in later centuries.

http://www.saarcculture.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=205

Marine investigations in the Lakshadweep Islands, India

Sila Tripati
Antiquity 73, 1999 pp.827-35


The Lakshadweep Islands lie on the sea route between west Asia and Africa on the one hand and south Asia and the Far East on the other. In maritime history, these islands have played a vital role by providing shelter, fresh water and landmarks to navigators through the ages. Recent discoveries made during marine archaeological exploration and excavations in the Lakshadweep have revealed evidences of early settlement and shipwrecks. The findings suggest that the islands had been inhabited much before the early historical period.

Introduction
India, one of the oldest maritime nations of the world, has been maintaining commercial and cultural contacts with African. Arabian and Southeast Asian countries for the last 5000 years. The findings of excavations at various coastal sites of India have provided convincing evidence of such relations.

The group of 36 islands scattered off the southwest coast of India between latitudes 8 degrees and 12 degrees 37 minutes N, and longitudes 71 degrees and 74 degrees E are known as the Lakshadweep (Laccadives). The word laksha is derived from the root lag, meaning a mark or sign. In addition to these islands, there are a number of submerged banks, open reefs and sand banks in this region. Only 11 of these islands are inhabited: while the rest are small and serve as satellites of the inhabited islands.

Minicoy is the southernmost island of this group, separated from the rest by the Nine Degree Channel. Kavaratti, Kalpeni. Androth and Agatti form the southern group while Amini, Kadmat, Kiltan, Chetlat and Bitra make up the northern group of islands of Lakshadweep. All the islands are generally oriented north-south except Androth which lies east-west.

These islands are famous for their beautiful lagoons, colourful coral reefs and clean coralline beaches. Most of them are enclosed by lagoons with coral reefs on the western sides, protecting them from the fury of the monsoon. The lagoons are 0.5 - 1.5 km long with a maximum water depth of 10 m.

Earlier these islands were known as Divis or Dibajat which means islands. The islanders identify themselves as Divis even today. The Lakshadweep Islands lie on the sea route between west Asia and north Africa on one side, and south Asia and the Far East on the other. These islands have been known to navigators of various countries and served as good landmarks for sailors, places for refuge in case of mishap and for replenishment of fresh water etc. Therefore, ancient seafarers of India as well as other countries might have taken shelter on the Lakshadweep, particularly in case of emergency.

The early settlers were people from Gujarat, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. These people were engaged in maritime trade between the mainland of India and the Arab and African countries, as well as with the western world. Country craft called Odams and Bandodies provided the only means of communication between the islands and mainland (Bhatt 1997). Such seafarers might also have crossed to other islands, namely the Maldives and the Andaman and Nicobar group of islands on their way to the far eastern countries.

Geology & geomorphology of the Lakshadweep Islands
Geologically these islands are a part of the Indian subcontinent and wore separated due to faulting of the ridge 53—54 million years ago. The rock stratum is a continuation of the Aravalli hills of Rajasthan (Mannadiar 1977). The Lakshadweep Islands do not show any major topographic features and are mostly low and flat-topped with a height of less than 6 m above sea-level. Most of the islands are long and irregularly shaped. They are believed to have been formed as the result of coral growth.

The soil is porous, and lakes, rivers or streams are completely absent. Drinking-water is drawn from wells and tanks on the inhabited islands. The water is hard and a little brackish in some places.

The eastern seaward shores of all the islands except Kadmat, Agatti, Bangaram and Cheriyakara are marked by rough waters. The eastern shelf of the islands rises precipitously from the sea enabling ships to get very close to the islands (Athawale 1991).

ObjectivesThis paper aims to synthesize the information available from earlier explorations and excavations in the Lakshadweep including the work carried out by the National Institute of Oceanography (Vora 1994; Gaur et al. 1998). The objectives of these explorations have been to locate archaeological sites on land and collect data for reconstructing cultural contacts, to trace the trade links of these islands with the mainland, and to locate shipwrecks in Lakshadweep waters.

Historical evidence
These islands were known to the sailors of various countries since the early historical period. The earliest reference to these islands is made in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, by an anonymous author of the 1st century AD, who refers to the islands off Damirica (the name assigned to Malabar at that time), in connection with the export of tortoise shell (Casson 1989; Schoff 1974).

Another early reference is by Ptolemy (150 AD), who states that opposite Taprobane (Sri Lanka) lies a multitude of islands said to number 1378 (McCrindle 1885). H.C.P. Bell (Gabriel 1989) identified the names of some of the islands mentioned by Ptolemy, e.g. Kanathra=Kavaratti, Argidion=Agatti, Ammine=Amini, and Monache=Minicoy.

Historians such as Ammianus Marcellanus (320-390 AD), Fa-Hien (5th century AD), Cosmas (535-550 AD), El Masudi (916 AD) and Ibn Batuta (1343-44 AD) have also referred to these islands and the Maldives (Pyrard 1888:426-34).

A hoard of more than 400 Roman coins of 119-138 AD was found at Kadmat (Turner 1989) and also reported from Androth (Mohandas 1951). The finding of these coins shows that during the early centuries of the Christian era, the Romans had trade contacts with the Lakshadweep islands. The islands were also referred in Buddhist Jataka stories and inscriptions.

Some indirect references to naval wars also come from the Vayalur inscriptions near Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu, such as the one which mentions that Narasimha Varman II Rajasimha (680-720 AD) of the Pallava dynasty conquered the Lakshadweep Islands (Sastri 1925-26). The inscription reads: May he exercise the royal prerogative and take up the vow of administering (his) subjects up to the extremities of his kingdom, as even to include the Dvipalaksham (thousands of islands).

The Narendra inscription of Shashthadeva, the Kadamba king of Goa, states that he had conquered Kavadi dvipa, which seems to correspond to Kavaratti, the capital of Lakshadweep (Rao 1994). Similarly, the inscription from the Rajarajeswar temple of Tanjavur mentions that Rajendra Chola (1018-19 AD) conquered many islands including the Lakshadweep (Mannadiar 1977). These naval wars reflect the importance of the Lakshadweep at that time.

The 11th-century AD Sanskrit text Mooshakavamsa also refers to the annexation of these islands by the king of Vallabha (Rao 1916).

Archaeological background and onshore explorations
Human settlement in the Lakshadweep is believed to have taken place around 1500 BC because the ancient ports of the west coast of India were exporting Indian merchandise to East Africa and other countries. Excavations at Lothal in Gujarat have revealed the presence of terracotta gorillas revealing Indian sailors’ links with the East African coast (Rao 1973). Recent excavations at Kalpeni have yielded terracotta objects dating back to 1500 BC supporting the hypothesis that these islands were occupied from 1500 BC, if not earlier (Saigal 1990).

Onshore explorations were carried out at islands of potential archaeological and historical importance, in order to establish the time frame and correlation with history. Onshore explorations at Kavaratti, Androth, Agatti and Amini unearthed red ware, dull red ware, buff ware and Red Polished Ware (RPW) (Rao et al. 1995-96).

The scraping near the Ujira Habibullah Mosque mound of Kavaratti brought to light a number of potsherds; the majority of them belong to red ware and a few are dull red ware and black ware (FIGURE 2 below).

Large quantities of red ware, dull red ware and a few black ware were also found in the habitational mound of Androth (FIGURE 3 below). All potsherds collected from Kavaratti and Androth are small and the main shapes are pots and small jars, rendering it difficult for identification of any incised designs and paintings. Probably painting might have been destroyed due to the marine environment.
The collection mainly includes rims of different types, namely grooved, splayed-out rims, squarish grooved etc. Interestingly, no bases or other parts of pottery were found during the exploration. The pottery is mostly ill-fired and the fabric is medium to coarse and medium to thin in section. These are wheel-made, and striation marks are visible in the interior. Most pot-sherds have pitting marks. Only one shred of glazed ware with blue designs was found at Kavaratti. No glazed wares were found in Androth.

Earlier exploration by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had revealed two phases of occupation in a section having a gap with sand deposit and an ancient structure at the top (FIGURE 4 below) (ASI 1983-84).

At another place on Androth potsherds were found at different levels, the lowest lying at a depth of 2.5 m just above the coral sand, indicating that the island was occupied after the coral formations had been exposed for some time. Detailed examination of this section revealed evidence of three other levels of human occupation (FIGURE 5 below).

The occupational levels yielded potsherds, black ashy deposits and fragments of animal bones (A.K. Sharma pers. comm.). Locally the mounds are known as ‘Kalikatta’ and ‘Kunthathupalli’. Medieval pottery was found in the Jama Mosque. Mazar and Waliullah Mazar area of Agatti. It is however reported that some sculptures of earlier period were also found in this island. A trench which was being excavated for the foundations of a public building was examined at Amini where red ware and coarse grey ware of early historical and medieval periods were noticed (Rao et al. 1995-96). The occurrence of a small tank in the presently uninhabited island of Cheriyam reveals that it was inhabited during earlier times. Besides coins and pottery a coral block with a demon face, protruding canine and tongue was also found in Androth. Similarly, a granite piece was found from a house in Kalpeni on which a headless female figure was carved in low relief, with folded hands and standing on a makara. On the left side of the figure, a tofa-shaped pot and on the right side a ‘T’-like object, probably the wooden handle of a ploughshare, have been depicted. The figure appears to be that of goddess Ganga (A.K. Sharma pers. comm.).

Similarly, red-ware sherds, celadon and glazed ware were also collected during explorations at Kurumathi, Landu and Kudahuvadu islands of Maldives by ASI (FIGURE 6 below).

The red-Ware sherds do not have any slip, wash or designs. The main shapes are carinated bowls, jars, handis and lids. The striation marks on the pottery suggest fast wheel-manufacturing technique (Gupta 1995). From the potsherds found in the Buddhist establishments only one was glazed ware, whereas the others were red ware and celadon ware. Potsherds of celadon and glazed ware have floral decorations. The noteworthy finding was the Celadon ware bowl With floral design on its lip.

Buddhism in Lakshadweep
The Buddhist Jataka stories of the 6th century refer to the Lakshadweep and Maldives groups of islands. The ships which plied between Bharukaccha in Gujarat and southeast Asian countries would cross the Lakshadweep and Maldive islands and some of these might have been wrecked bv subsurface reefs. However, very little is known about Buddhism in the Lakshadweep Islands. Recent explorations have provided evidence of Buddhism in the islands.

The evidence indicates that Buddhism reached Lakshadweep at an early date, probably at the same time when Ashoka the Great sent his emissaries to Sri Lanka. Three idols have been found in Androth island which are kept in the storeroom of the Government high school. Of these, two are Buddha heads and one is Yaksha. The larger of the Buddha heads is significant because its height, the facial expression with half-closed eyes, long ears, curly hair and meditation posture indicate that it belonged to the Gupta period 400-500 AD (FIGURE 7).

The height of the larger head is 100 cm and its circumference is 116 cm; the smaller Buddha head weighs 70 kg, and its height and circumference are 68 and 116 cm, respectively. The Yaksha-like figure with protruding canine is about 125 cm high (FIGURE 8 below).

Some human sculptures carved out of coral slab were also noticed. These heads were recovered from a huge mound called ‘Perumpalli’ in the southern centre of the island while digging foundation-trenches for a school building. Perumpalli means a great Vihar. Similarly, a Buddha head was also discovered during the trial digging near the General Hospital in Kavaratti in 1971. This measures 40 cm in length and 30 cm in width. It seems that the torso was thrown into the lagoon of the island. All these idols are much damaged and defaced, probably by local people.

In Minicoy island also, similar Buddha heads were recovered from the mound of Aludi and eastern shore of Sedivalu village (Sharma & Khan 1994). Another Buddha head measuring 50 cm in height and 35 cm in width was recovered from a mound of Minicoy. The socket at the back is meant for attachment to the torso. These heads are much damaged and facial features are disfigured due to flaking of the plaster. The idols are made of coral rocks. The coral blocks were first shaped like a human head and the plastered with coral paste and the details carve The curly hair, broad forehead and ears clearly visible but the facial portions have been damaged.

The explorations by ASI have yielded a large number of Buddhist remains such as stupa monasteries, water tanks and enclosure wall at Kuramathi, Kudahuvadu. Toddu, Landu Nilandu North and Ariadu in the Maldives. All these are now in ruined condition and mosques and houses have been constructed on these remains. Beads of semi-precious stones, ornaments of gold and silver and terracotta figurines etc. were found in a relic chamber of stone at a Buddhist complex of Kuramathi (ASI 1986-87).

Discussion
Since the people of the Lakshadweep Islands do not have any aboriginal groups, scholars had postulated different views about the history of habitation on these islands. Now it is clear from archaeological research that settlement started in these islands before the early historical period. Onshore explorations at Kavaratti, Agatti, Androth and Amini revealed that the earliest settlement probably took place between Pre-Christian period and the 5th century AD, as is evident from the RPW, red ware, dull red ware and red and black ware.

The pottery mainly found at Androth, Kavaratti, Amini, Agatti and Kalpeni were probably imported from the mainland. As there is no availability of clay in these islands and all pottery was probably imported, all pottery found in these islands is similar in fabric and typology. No datable antiquities have been found along with pottery during our exploration in these islands.

The RPW is recognized as one of the most important ceramic products of the early historical period of India datable to the early Christian era till the 5th century AD. Fragments of RPW are reported from a number of sites in India. This ware is made of well-levigated clay and a thick red slip is polished on this ware. Due to firing at a high temperature these vessels are sturdy and produce a metallic sound. The colour varies from dark red to pink. The main shapes are sprinkler and Surahi which is widely distributed, and the other types are jars with grooved rim. flaring neck, bulbous body and ring-footed base. The bowls have incurved, beaded and thick rims, carinated shoulders and convex sides. The earlier impression of the archaeologists was that the RPW was imported or could be an imitation of the Roman Samian ware. From its wide distribution in various types, it is considered to have been indigenous during Pre-Christian era.

The occurrence of pottery in Lakshadweep and the Maldives is significant as there is no clay for manufacture and hence it might have come either from India or Sri Lanka. The Buddha heads at Androth, Minicoy and Kavaratti suggest that Buddhism prevailed in those islands since the 5th-6th centuries AD or earlier. The style of these figures resembles those of a particular period of the mainland Buddhist centre. The figures are made out of local coral rock. Presently these Buddhist antiquities are lying in public buildings, in bad condition and in need of urgent attention and preservation. The antiquities and Buddhist relics which were found during exploration and excavation in the Maldives are now kept in National Museum at Male’.

ConclusionsThe discovery of Buddha heads and other antiquities clearly indicates that Buddhism prevailed in the Lakshadweep Islands during the 5th-6th centuries AD. As the Lakshadweep Islands lie on the trade route, settlement on these islands is expected to be much older, but those may have been temporary settlements.

To unearth the past history of Lakshadweep, and to verify the findings of Saigal (1990), it is essential that archaeological excavation should be undertaken at least at Kavaratti, Androth and Minicoy islands. If the findings are correct then the history of settlement of Lakshadweep would be much older than the early historical period.

Further, in-depth explorations should also be carried out at other islands where Buddhist remains have not been reported; the results of exploration may bring some other new evidence on the archaeology and history of Lakshadweep.


Acknowledgements: The author is grateful to the Director (NIO) and Shri. K.H. Vora. Scientist-in-Charge, for granting permission to publish this paper, also to Drs M.C. Joshi and A.K. Sharma for providing information on Lakshadweep. Thanks are also due to all the colleagues of MAC for their participation in the cruise and collection of data. The author also thanks Shri. S.B. Chitari for drawings and Shri. S.N. Bandodker and Shri. Sheikh Ali for photographs.

References
ASI, 1983-84. Indian Archaeology 1983-84 - A review. New-Delhi: Archaeological Survey of India.
1986-87. Indian Archaeology 1986-87 - A review. New Delhi: Archaeological Survey of India.
ATHAWALE, S. 1991. India’s Indian Ocean islands. New Delhi: ABC Publishing House.
BHATT, S.C. (ed.). 1997. The Encyclopaedic District Gazetterrs of India 2. New Delhi: Gyan Publishing House.
CASSON, L. 1989. The Periplus Maris Erythraei. English and Greek text with Introduction, translation, and commentary. Princeton (NJ): Princeton University Press.
GABRIEL, P.C.T. 1989. Lakshadweep — history, religion and society. New Delhi: Books & Books.
GAUR, A.S., K.H. VORA, SUNDARESH, S. TRIPATI. P. GUDIGAR & S.N. BANDODKAR. 1998. Exploration of steam engine wrecks off Minicoy Island. Lakshadweep. India. International Journal of Nautical Archaeology 27/3: 225-36.
GUPTA. S.S. 1995. Buddhist remains’in Maldives. Puratattva 25: 77-80. New Delhi: Indian Archaeological Society.
McCRINDLE. J.W. 1885 [1985]. Ancient India as described by Ptolemy. New Delhi: Today & Tomorrow’s Printer & Publishers.
MANNADIAR, N.S. (ed.). 1977. Gazetteer of India - Lakshadweep. Coimbatore: Government of India Press.
MOHANDAS. P.N. 1951. Our numismatic collection, in Madras Central Government Centenary Souvenir 1851-1951. Madras.
Pyrard. F. 1888. The voyage of Francois Pyrard of Laval to the East Indies, the Maldives, the Moluccas and Brazil 2(1). (Tr. Albert Gray.) London: Hakluyt Society. First series no. 77.
RAO, S.R. 1973. Lothal and the Indus civilization. New York (NY): Asia Publishing House.
1994a. Marine archaeological exploration of Byramgore reef of Lakshadweep in the Indian Ocean, in Rao (1994b): 67-9.
(Ed.). 1994b. Role of Universities and Research Institutes in Marine Archaeology. Goa: National Institute of Oceanography.
RAO. S.R.. K.H. VORA. A.S. GAUR. P. GUDIGAR. SUNDARESH & S. TRIPATI. 1995-96. A preliminary shipwreck exploration off Lakshadweep. Journal of Marine Archaeology 5-6: 23—31.
RAO. T.G, 1916. Tranvancore Archaeological series 2. Tranvancore.
SAIGAL. O. 1990. Lakshadweep. New Delhi: National Book Trust.
SASTRI. H.K. 1925-26 [1983]. The Vayalur inscription of Rajasimha II. Epigraphia Indica 18: 145-52. New Delhi: Archaeological Survey of India.
SCHOFF. W.H. 1974. The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea: Travel and trade in the Indian Ocean by a merchant of the first century. New Delhi: Oriental Books Reprint Corporation.
SHARMA. A.K. & M.F. KHAN. 1994. Buddha heads and some grave head stones from Lakshadweep, in Rao (1994b): 129-31.
TURNER. P.J. 1989. Roman coins from India. London: Institute of Archaeology. Occasional publication 12.
VORA. K.H. 1994. Marine archaeological explorations in Lakshadweep waters. Technical Report NIO/TR-9/94: 1-27. Goa: National Institute of Oceanography.
(Source: maldivesculture.com)

Maldivian Buddhist heritage in Sri Lanka.

Historic Buddhist statue from Maldives, in display in Sri Lanka National Museum in Colombo 2011

Buddhist Relic Casket found in Gn. Fua Mulaku Hoadhanu Area

A coral stone casket containing an cowries, a conch and animal statue was found while digging in hoadhandhu ward ‘boalha dhandu’ (havitha) area.

hoadhandu ‘boalha dhandu’ western area was being excavated for planting a tree when they found a stone casket having a width of 10 inches and length of 11 inches and height of 8 inches. The casket contained an animal figurine believed to be made by stone. The figurine was placed inside the casket with cowrie shell, which was used as currency and a conch shell along with  big cowrie shells that was not used currency. The lid of the casket (1inch height) was broken by the blade of the excavater while digging in the 5 ft pit. Human bones was also discovered in this pit.
 

The stone casket and the things inside it have been taken to Fua Mulaku Atoll Office. Counseler Hassan Saeed that what to do with the casket will be determined under advice with the National Heritage Center and has forbidden digging in the site.
 


The pit in which the casket is found is near an are called ‘Kuda Havitta’ which is considered a part of ‘Fua Mulaku Havitta’. Theres a pile of rabble sand and stones nearby the pit which is a protected site by the National Centre for Linguistic and Historical Research.

 

In March 1946 Adam Naseer Manik was sent by the government to dig the ‘Havitha’ area and found 4 boxes each containing a casket, and in each casket was a gold tin. These caskets are now  in the Maldives Museum.



http://dhivehi.tumblr.com/post/1359578316

Avahaara — Avataara — Avatar

Avahaara is the term for death, used in the most noble sense in Dhivehi, the meaning of the word has not changed much over the years from the time our forefathers came from the indian subcontinent.

the etymological root of Avahaara is in fact Avatar from Sanskrit अवतार avataara, which means “descent”, an refers to the human incarnation of God during times of distress on earth.  Thus, Krishna and Raama were both avataars of Vishnu, who also manifested himself as an avatar many other times to make a total of ten.

The word is used to announce the death of Kings and Noblemen, they can ‘avahaara’ while the word for commoners death is simply ‘Maru’..which is also from Sanskrit for death ”mar/mr” to die, The causative ”mar” means to kill, Derivatives include ”merethy/mrty”, death, ;”mareta” and ”maretan”, mortal and therefore man,human being.

In Ancient Maldives commoner were mortals and the Kings were gods on earth..

                              

                                  ten avatar of vishnu

http://dhivehi.tumblr.com/post/521026222/avahaara-avataara-avatar

Bo tree in the Maldives.

A Bo Tree, Raskatheemu ( King’s Island)- maldives - photo by ali rilwan
the sacred bodhi tree of the maldivan buddhists

Ficus religiosa or sacred fig (Nepali: पीपल, pīpal; Punjabi: ਪਿੱਪਲ) is a species of fig native to Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, south-west China and Indochina. It belongs to the Moraceae, the fig or mulberry family. Sinhala (Sri Lanka)name to this tree is Esathu .It is also known as the Bo-Tree (from the Sanskrit Bodhi: "wisdom", "enlightened", and as a Sinhalization of this the Sinhala Bo) or ^[1] Peepal or Pippal (in India and Nepal).^[2]

Kanakhalagala - an island in suvaidhoo

KANAKHALAGALA —
kanakhalagala an unhabited island in suvadhoo atoll, which has a haunting, claims of an apparition, a girl…kanakhala is the name of a siddha, hmm i just need to find the meaning of ‘gala now..new linguistic evidence of hinduism in the maldives
”A Siddha सिद्ध in Sanskrit means “one who is accomplished” and refers to perfected masters who, according to Hindu belief, have transcended the ahamkara (ego or I-maker), have subdued their minds to be subservient to their Awareness, and have transformed their bodies (composed mainly of dense Rajo-tama gunas) into a different kind of body dominated by sattva. This is usually accomplished only by persistent meditation.”
”Kankhal (Hindi:कनखल) is a small town of historical and religious importance, 3 km south ofHaridwar^[1] in Uttarakhand state in India.
Mentioned in the Vayu Purana and the Mahabharata as Kanakhala ^[2] [3], Kankhal is one of ‘Panch Tirth' (Five Pilgrimages) within Haridwar, with other spots being Gangadwara (Har ki Pauri), Kushwart (Ghat in Kankhal), Bilwa Teerth (Mansa Devi Temple) and Neel Parvat (Chandi Devi Temple)^[4][5].
It is most known for the Daksheswara Mahadev Temple, numerous ashrams and old houses built by Hindus pilgrims in the 19th century, with exquisite wall paintings ^[1].”
i am guessing here..the reverence for kankhal was so engrained that the settler named and island after revered town of kankhal, which is even referred in the Mahabaratta
””Bathing in Gangadwara (Haridwar) and Kusavarta…as also in Kankhala, one is sure to become cleansed of all one’s sins and then ascend to heaven.” ^[3]
— The Mahabharata, Book 13: Anusasanika Parva: Section XXV, p. 130.” THAKATHA —-

i have wondered about the term ‘tha’katha’ a word nobody really understands now and most people use it without knowing the actual meaning..with a vauge shadowy undertone..they refer to the thakatha group..its probable that the word comes from Tathagata. 
from wikipedia

Tathāgata (Devanagari: तथागत) in Pali and Sanskrit (Chin., Jpn.: 如来; Kor.:여래; Vietnamese: Như Lai; Tibetan དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པ) is the name the historical Buddha used when referring to himself. Literally, it means both one who has thus gone (Tathā-gata) and one who has thus come (Tathā-āgata). Hence, the Tathagata is beyond all coming and going. It is asserted by some that the name really means one who has found the truth. ^[1]
The Buddha of the scriptures is always reported as referring to himself as the Tathagata instead of using the pronounsme, I or myself. This serves to emphasize by implication that the words are uttered by one who has transcended the human condition, who is beyond the otherwise endless cycle of rebirth, beyond all death and dying, beyond all suffering.
The word is also used as a synonym for arahant.^[2]:227 It refers to someone who has attained the highest goal of the religious life: “a tathāgata, a superman (uttama-puriso)”.^[2]:228 In Buddhist thought, such an individual is no longer human.^[3]
so ‘thakatha’ is a legacy of our buddhist past//

http://dhivehi.tumblr.com/post/483785759/dhivehi-studies-notes

Pali roots in Dhivehi

more words this time in Pali/Sanskrit
Bhāvanā
Bhāvanā (f.) [fr. bhāveti, or fr. bhāva in meaning of bhāva 2, cp. Class. Sk. bhāvanā] producing, dwelling on something, putting one’s thoughts to, application, developing by means of thought or meditation, cultivation by mind, culture. — .
ânuyoga application to meditation
ārāma joy of or pleasure in self culture
bala power to increase the effect of meditation, power of self
maya accomplished by culture practice; brought into existence by practice (of cultured thought)
vidhāna arrangement of process of culture

Thoddu island historical discoveries and vandalism 1959

The discovery and destruction of the big statue of Thoddu in 1959 - Statue smashed a second time at Mulee-aage
by Adam Haleem, Haveeru, 30 May 2009
translated by Maldives Culture editors
Photos from 'A New Light on the History of Maldives' and captions added by Maldives Culture editors.
Dr S. Paranavi-thana's English report is taken from 'A New Light on the History of Maldives'

They began digging and when they found a statue and everyone began to shout and yell at the statue. 'Chief of the Five Thieves [from the tale of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves], you are the motherless one!', one of them bellowed as he pointed a finger at the carving. 'The thief was hiding!' yelled another man even more loudly.

By sunrise next day, a group of people had broken the head off the statue. It was put back on and the statue was placed under a roof. People began to yell, 'The religion of worshipping statues has begun!' And later in Male', people who were similarly gripped by anger attacked the huge statue and further damaged it. This is the story of the second destruction of the statue found in the ruins of a Buddhist temple in Thoddu in 1959.

Photo: Found carefully buried on Thoddu in 1959, this statue had been preserved underground for nearly 800 years. To hide it after Buddhist Maldives was declared an Islamic kingdom by royal decree in 1153, islanders removed the statue from a higher position and placed it upright on the floor of the temple where sand had been spread. It was then surrounded by hewn stone slabs and more sand and rocks. A protective slab was placed over the statue and additional rocks and sand were added to the pile until the temple had become a mound. The heap was then covered in soil.

According to the book 'A New Light on the History of Maldives', Mudhin Ibrahim of Thoddu went to collect stones from a large pile on the island known locally as the 'Sea Ghost's big stone mound', and as he dug into it he noticed something unusual. A special expedition was sent to Thoddu to explore the area. On this expedition were Mohamed Ismail Didi and Abdul Hakeem Hussein Manik. In addition two other men, photographer Ali Najeeb and Thulhaadhoo Hassan Manik Dhon Manik accompanied them. They are all dead now; the last to die was Abdul Hakeem Hussein Manik at the age of 90 in 2003.

The digging was conducted with the help of 76 men who were paid a daily rate of Rf2.50 each. The mound was covered in coconut palms and sea hibiscus trees. It was photographed, the palms were felled and digging began. First they discovered the foundations of an ancient stupa and smaller constructions, and a wide stepped staircase. Several days later, they found a rectangular sandstone slab. When they lifted the slab, underneath was a large statue.

'Chief of the Five Thieves, you are the motherless one!' yelled the man who first saw the statue, according to the history book.

Abdul Hakeem said people working at the site began to shout when they saw the statue and wanted to destroy it. 'The statue was very beautiful,' he commented in 2001. Hakeem said the statue looked very much like one at the end of the Havelock road in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in fact there was no difference. According to the history book, the statue had the robes a monk similar to the Gotama Buddha statues in Sri Lanka.

The view of the history committee is that when news reached Thoddu that Maldives had become Islamic and the practice of Buddhism outlawed, the people of Thoddu went to the extreme trouble of burying the Buddhist sculpture before officials came to destroy the temple. Therefore this must have happened in 1153, when Maldives was proclaimed Islamic, or soon after that. 'It may be that they hid it in hope of the eventual return of Buddhism,' said Hakeem.


Photographs of two coins found in Thoddu island Buddhist ruins in 1959. The coin on the left was identified by the British Museum as a denarius from the Roman Republic of Caius Vibius Pansa, minted in Rome in 90BC. It could have been circulating in the Roman Empire for up to 100 years. All coins found on Thoddu were later stolen in Male'.

On the instructions of the expedition team, the digging commenced again and people started shouting as they found something else. Others went running to see. It was a round casket made of coral stone. Inside was a metal container and laying around it were three rings and some coins. Inside the silver container was a golden container and inside that was a gold cylinder.

'With the coins was a piece of hip bone [in 'History of Maldives in a New Light', the term 'hip bone' is not used, instead the object is described as 'an ingredient for herbal medicine'] . The silver coins had some sort of engraving and people said they were coins of Alexander the Great,' said Hakeem. 'While people were absorbed in looking at these things, Mudhin Ibrahim came running up and claimed that it was a place that he had discovered and the gold belonged to him. Mudhin was jumping up and down for a miniscule piece of gold.'

According the history book, when the statue and the curved coral container were found, people became almost hysterical. Everyone wanted to make claims to what had been found. One said, 'I found the diamond treasure trove', and another claimed he saw a nest of local snake eggs. 'Mudhin threw his arms in the air and told me that whatever people found, it was from a place that he discovered, and the reward rightfully belonged to him,' said Hakeem.

After these discoveries, the expedition team kept searching. One morning while they were at the digging site, the statue was bashed with a rock and damaged. According to Hakeem, they didn't think the people of Thoddu would get angry enough to destroy the statue. 'Before when the head of the statue was broken off, when it put on, it was fine,' said Abdul Hakeem.

The people who went at dawn to destroy the statue, appeared to be afraid of it. After the vandalism, the pieces were put together, wrapped in a hessian bag and put in a box. Banana leaves were used as padding and it was taken to Male' and placed in Mulee-aage [an important official residence]. The statue was under a verandah at the southern side of the building. Ministers and high officials went to see it. Although almost all officials viewed the statue, prime minister Ibrahim Nasir did not.

Some high officials had great suggestions about what to do with it. Ahmed Hilmy Didi said that if advertised as a statue found washed up at the beach, Sri Lankans would pay a high price for it. Sheikh Rushdie said not to do that. He suggested placing the statue on public display on a nice wall, and it would attract people from Sri Lanka who would pay dollars to see it. It was not good idea to sell it, according to Rushdie.

Despite all these ideas, the statue remained at Mulee-aage. News of the Thoddu statue had spread all over Male' and some people became very angry. About six days after it arrived, a group of people went in and smashed the statue to pieces. The only part remaining was the head section.

Next day, the most widely discussed topic was that the worship of statues had begun in Male' and some people had converted to Buddhism. People gathered at various places in Male' and shouted about their concerns. 'Nasir was unable muster the courage do anything about it,' said Hakeem. 'He certainly had no wish to investigate the destruction of the statue.'

An object that would have given insight into the ancient history of Maldives was destroyed while it was in Mulee-aage, and historians, including Hakeem, believe the statue was destroyed by disapproving government employees from that building.

The head of the Thoddu statue is now in the museum in Male', the coral stone casket went missing and Thoddu's temple has been buried again.
[end]
___________________________________

ACCOUNT GIVEN BY DR S. PARANAVI-THANA OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CEYLON, PERADENIYA, ON THE BUDDHIST REMAINS RECENTLY DISCOVERED IN THE MALDIVES (at Thoddu in 1959)
from 'A New Light on the History of Maldives'
Male' 1958-1966

Thoddu island Buddhist ruin excavation, 1959

The photographs furnished are not accompanied by any information with regard to the identity dimensions of the remains unearthed and the relation of one to the other. It is, therefore, difficult to arrive at accurate conclusions with regard to their character.

Judging from the photographs, there appear to have been exposed the remains of a stupa of no great size, but intersting on account of its many unusual features. It is also not possible to say from the photographs the material out of which the stupa and relic-casket found in it were made; but it is presumed that they are of coral stone, the material readily available on these islands.

The railing pattern on the base of the Thoddu temple - 'this architectural ornamentation has not been found in the corresponding position at any old stupa in Ceylon or India'

The photograph No.I shows the general view of the base and the lower part of the drum of a stupa on stepped circular platform against a background of coconut palms. The upper moulding of the base is ornamented with the railing pattern. Photographs numbered II, III and IV taken to be details of the monument of which a general view is given in No.I. One of these shows the mouldings at the base in considerable clearness. The cyma and the torus mouldings recognisable at the base and fillets in the cornice are familiar enough in the old stupas of Ceylon. But the vertical face between the mouldings of the base and the cornice at the base which is invariably plain in Ceylon stupas is here ornamented with the railing pattern, so common in the early Buddhist architecture of India as well as Ceylon. To my knowledge this architectural ornamentation has not been found in the corresponding position at any old stupa in Ceylon or India.

The pit in the centre of the temple is used to bury sacred objects during construction. The other pits give the four main directions.

Photograph No.V is taken to be the interior of the stupa, the garbha in which the sacred objects were deposited. We have here a rectangular pit in the centre with four similar but smaller pits at the four sides The arrangement clearly indicates the centre of the universe and the four directions. In corresponding positions in Ceylon stupas we have nine, instead of five pits, four being added at the corners. The arrangement in this Maldivian stupa is clear evidence that the so-called yantragalas in Buddhist stupas originated as a directional symbolism which is quite obvious here. The stupa consequently has preserved a very archaic feature in its internal arrangements which is of great importance for a proper understanding of the significance of early stupas.

Photographs Nos.VI, VII and VIII are taken to be of relic-caskets, the larger one of coral stone and the smaller one which from photograph VII is shown to have been found inside the first, is taken to be of metal. These relic-caskets are miniature stupas and are almost identical in shape with similar caskets found at ancient stupas in Ceylon. In fashioning the upper portion as a lid to this casket shows similarity with Ceylon examples. The cubical portion above the dome of the caskets is ornamented with the railing pattern - a feature common in Ceylon stupas.

The discovery is of unusual interest for the study of Buddhist art.

More photos on Maldives History Album

The forgotten Buddhist past of Malvides

The Dhamma Times,  3 June 2004
By B. A. Ariyatilaka

BNC, Colombo - Imagine yourself voyaging in a sailing ship from the Equator coming due north, some seven hundreds of kilometres longitudinally west of Sri Lanka. For hundreds of miles you pass islands both on the left and on the right as you travel, all set in a sparkling blue ocean. From the palm fringed shores of these islands, both large and small, arise dazzling white stupas each with a towering spire pointing high into the sky. That is the picture of the Maldivian islands in pre-Islamic times some eight hundred years ago.
At the Paranavitana Gallery of the Colombo Museum there is a display of Buddhist artifacts brought from the Maldivian Gan island by Sri Lanka’s pioneering archeologist H.C.P. Bell. Among the display is a fragment of a Buddha head exquisitely carved out of lithic material. This type of stone is only available in Sri Lanka. It is a reasonable assumption that monks and lay Buddhists would have gone over there from Sri Lanka a very long time ago. They established close
links with the existing Maldivians who subsequently, had a religion and a culture almost indistinguishable from our own.
Our ancient links with the Maldives
The story of Buddhism in the Maldives is unravelled to us by Professor Vinie Vitararana in his book, “Sri Lankan-Maldivian Cultural Affinities” who assembled the data from the work of many previous scholars in the subject.
The year 1153 C.E. proved to be a great turning point for the religion of those islands. According to a legend related in the chronicle Tarikh, Sheik Yusuf Shams-ud-din arrived in the Islands and exorcised the spirits said to have possessed the King Theemugy Maha Kalaminja, a Buddhist.
He promptly converted to Islam and ordered his courtiers to do likewise. In a short time all the inhabitants of the islands had changed their religion. In this way the Maldives lost its ancient culture built up over more than a thousand years and with it, Buddhism.
Consequently Arabic culture soon engulfed the Maldivian way of life. Travellers returning from Arab lands pressed for the full Islamisation of the country to ensure the security of Islam and to expunge Buddhism from public memory. The people began to add on or even adopt completely new Arabic names. The old script, evele akuru, which closely resembled sinhala akuru, was replaced by the Arabic script.
Paucity of literary records
There are no literary records left except for a few inscriptions engraved on statues and coral slabs to give us a guide to the nature of pre-Islamic Maldives.
But the extensive archeological discoveries found in almost all of the inhabited islands afford us
considerable insights into the nature of the Maldivian past which is mainly Buddhist culture and which closely paralleled the state of Buddhism that prevailed in this country in those times. The
discovery of a figure of Tara shows us that elements of Mahayana Buddhism had also found a niche in Maldivian Buddhism just as it had in Sri Lanka during the late Anuradhapura period.
Buddhism in the face of Semitic intolerance Semitic monotheistic religions insist on the
destruction and sweeping away of the past wherever it triumphs or has become a majority in the host population. The message of the Old Testament of the Bible is clear on this subject. Speaking of rival religions it says, “destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves”. (Exodus: 34: 13).
This is confirmed in the Holy Qur’an which says, “Slay the polytheists wherever you find them” (Qur’an 9:5). These culture-obliterating Biblical Quranic clauses has caused Buddhism to suffer greatly or be exterminated entirely in Asia, where, before it had flourished and made huge contributions to raising levels of culture and happiness in Asian civilisation. The absence of absolute rules, giving freedom in so many areas, allowed great cultural statement in Buddhist societies.
In stark contrast, the new absolutism, newly installed in the Maldives and as elsewhere, resulted, as the Professor’s book relates, in the harmless but free-thinking Buddhist monks and all those who resisted the change, to be beheaded all to the gleeful shouts of ‘Allah hu Akbar’
All these Asian countries with a Buddhist past would have experienced a great and wilful destruction of their own Buddhist art, archi tecture and monuments. These would be either modified or replaced entirely as a means of obliterating the memory of a tolerant religion. An additional reason for the loss in the Maldives is that many Buddhist monuments were made of
softer rocks or coral, which deteriorated in time.

Male Museum, a heritage from British scholarship
The Museum at Male houses sufficient artefacts to give us a good idea of the state of Buddhism in the Maldives at that time. Of these, the Buddha head with wide-open eyes, a characteristic different from those of Anuradhapura, shows that its style is distinctly Maldivian. If it originally was a part of a standing statue, it would have conformed to the dasa riyan (10 cubits) measurements of Buddhist iconography. A second head in the museum is from a Buddha statue and is very
similar to those in Anuradhapura and Medirigiriya.
Another item in the museum is the limestone fragments of a Sri-Pada (Holy Footprint) which is shown bordered by beautifully designed lotus buds. The feet are shown incised with auspicious signs including the svastika.
Another precious item in the museum is the carved figure of Tara, mentioned above, with her hand in “varada” (boon-granting) gesture. Other sculptures include slabs, panels and carved friezes all of which are familiar to us from similar items in Anuradhapura and elsewhere. These works of art, mercifully preserved for us in the Colombo Museum, indicate emphatically that Sri Lanka and the Maldives shared a common religion, a similar culture and a common history prior to the Islamic period.
Demonology
The demon figures exhibited at the Male Museum must be described here, too. Buddhism, strictly speaking, requires one to work towards one’s own salvation the Noble Path. But in this world of pratagjanas (worldlings), the daily struggle for health, immediate wealth and material gain is also a pragmatic fact of life. To cater for both these aspects of human existence in the Maldives, demon worship existed side by side with the lofty spiritual ideals of Buddhism as is illustrated by the presence of these demon figures.
Stupas, ponds and reservoirs
The Buddhist stupa or dagoba occupies a central place in any temple complex. It is the centre of religious worship. Practically all the inhabited islands had stupas of varying sizes. The National Centre for Historical and Linguistic Research has mapped out these sites. In the islands of Gan and Fua Mulaku, archaeologist Bell documented the existence of stupas, finials, capitals, pillars, carved stones, images, beads and jars and a vatadage (circular relic house) - all of which serve to indicate just how deep rooted Buddhist culture was in the Maldives in those far off times. Ponds and reservoirs are also necessary adjuncts to Buddhist temples. Some were still in existence as the discoveries of Bell reveal.
Place names such as Lankafuri (‘City of Lanka’) and Viha Mana Furi (Vihara Mana Pura) ‘Delightful City of Buddhist Monasteries’ are easily recognisable to those conversant with the Sinhala Language.
It is a theme of this writing to reveal the similarities between the Maldivians and the Sinhala
cultures that existed a thousand years ago. Peaceful monks who went there from Sri Lanka had planted the Buddhist culture there. They were not military adventurers or invaders directed to uproot existing cultures and replace them with new ideas of religion. Nor did they disorientate the inhabitants by requiring worship of revered items unseen and in far distant lands.
The Maldives being a series of flat coral islands, were on the main sea routes to the East and, without strong and determined defence were easy prey for pirates, buccaneers and adventurers. They were very vulnerable to attacks and invasions from seafarers or overseas cultures. Finally this actually happened and they submitted to their fate. Today not even a small Buddha statue can be introduced to these islands without attracting a criminal penalty.
Sri Lanka is indeed, very fortunate to still practice Buddhism despite the various changes in its fortunes over t he centuries of 2500 years. The fate of Buddhist Maldives is an object lesson for the Sinhalese.

http://www.centrebouddhique.net/content/view/121/31/

Jost Gippert: A Glimpse into the Buddhist Past of the Maldives I. An Early Prakrit Inscription

"For the inhabitants of the Maldivian archipelago, the beginning of literacy has for long been identical with the conversion of the country to Islam in the middle of the 12th century of our era. As a matter of fact, the Maldives have borne witness to a continuous production of written texts since about 1192 A.D. when the  oldest copper plate grants that have come down to us were issued by Maldivian kings. Both by their outer appearance and by their linguistic content, however, these documents clearly suggest that the tradition of literacy must have been much older, dating back to times when Buddhism was still prevalent in the islands. This assumption is confirmed off-hand by a very small set of inscriptions engraved in coral-stone artefacts which were unearthed in excavations in the capital, Māle, and on Māḷos (Maalhos) Island (Ari Atoll) and which bear clear indications of pertaining to a Vajrayāna environment.

Even though these inscriptions have not been deciphered so far, it is generally assumed that they date back to the tenth-eleventh centuries, thus representing the only remnants of Buddhist literacy which was otherwise deliberately destroyed by the Islamic convertors"

Read more: http://titus.fkidg1.uni-frankfurt.de/personal/jg/pdf/jg2003d.pdf

Pre Islamic ruins discovered in Angolhitheemu

Islander unearths Buddhist relics

by Maryam Omidi, Minivan News, 27 May 2009

Raa atoll Agolhitheemu, Maldives -- A pre-Islamic stupa was discovered by an islander beneath his house in Raa atoll Agolhitheemu on Monday while digging to build a well.

Yoosuf Adam, 50, from Gulhaam House, found the coral stupa divided into three parts, according to the Island Chief Mohamed Yoosuf.
“It looks like a pawn on a chess board,” said Yoosuf, the island chief. “The Indian teachers here believe parts were destroyed when Islam came to the Maldives.”
A stupa is a mound-like structure containing supposed relics of Buddha, once thought to be places of Buddhist worship.
Yoosuf said the stupa had been slightly damaged by the digging as the islanders did not know that it was beneath the ground.

He added other ancient relics had been found on the island since 1999. In 2003, large intricately-carved coral bricks were discovered when building the school and in 2006, a small statue of a Buddha was found.

But, said Yoosuf, the statue was stolen after being taken to the school for observation and the other relics have been destroyed as islanders were unaware of their historical significance.

It was only in 2002, he said, when incumbent President Mohamed Nasheed was banished to the island that residents learned of the importance of the artefacts.

“Since then they started exploring and at that time the president said there were seven graveyards beneath the island, which he read about in a book in a foreign library,” he said.

Ahmed Tholal, assistant director of the centre for linguistic and historical research, said officials from the centre planned a visit to the island next week to verify the find. While he warned it was too early to be optimistic, he said it appeared to be part of a Buddhist monastery.

“Based on what we see in the photos it looks like a pre-Islamic site but we can only confirm once we have seen it,” said Tholal. “It’s very well-preserved…maybe one of the best preserved sites that we have and that will help us open up to cultural tourism.”

Speaking to Minivan News in April, Tourism Minister Dr Ahmed Ali Sawad said the government planned to promote cultural tourism to provide tourists with an insight into Maldivian heritage.

On the discovery of the stupa he said, “I think these artefacts give us a glimpse of the old heritage we have and the history of us Maldivians as an ancient civilisation. We want to share this little known era of our history with the wider world.”

Very little is known about the Maldives’ Buddhist past which is believed to have been the dominant religion until the 12th century AD when Islam was introduced by Abul Barakat Yousef al-Berberi.

While the country's Buddhist past is acknowledged, the subject is a sensitive one as the Maldives operates within a strict Islamic framework.

But, said Tholal, the site will not be promoted as an "adversary to Islam" but as the "epitome of Maldivian culture".

A number of other Buddhist sites can be found dotted around the Maldives, such as on Laamu atoll Isdhoo.
In October 2008, a Rf 370,000 (US $29,000) programme to help preserve the archaeological site on Kaafu atoll Kaashidhoo – the site of a Buddhist monastery dating back to the 7th and 8th centuries – was funded by US government.

http://doreview.blogspot.in/2009/05/islander-unearths-buddhist-relics.html

ރާއްޖެ އިސްލާމްވުމުގެ ކުރީގެ އަސަރުތައް ހުރި ބިނާއެއް ފެނިއްޖެ
2009-05-27 04:54:00
ޝަރާ - ހާމަނޫސް

އަނގޮޅިތީމުގެ ގެ އެއްގައި މަސައްކަތެއް ކުރަނިކޮށް ރާއްޖެ އިސްލާމްވުމުގެ ކުރީގެ އަސަރުތައް ހުރި ބިނާއެއް ފެނިއްޖެކަމަށް ދިވެހިބަހާ ތާރީޚަށް ޚިދުމަތްކުރާ ޤައުމީ މަރުކަޒުން ހާމަކުރައްވައިފިއެވެ. އެމަރުކަޒުން ވިދާޅުވާ ގޮތުގައި ވައްކޮށް ހިރިގަލުން ހަދާފައިވާ ތަރަހައެއްގެ މަތީގައި ބެހެއްޓިފައިވާ ވޯޓިވް އިސްތޫޕާއެއް ނުވަތަ ފެންނަ ފެނުމަށް ނަދުރު ފުއްދުމަށް މީހުން ބިނާކޮށްފައިވާ ބިނާ އެއް ކަމަށް ބެލެވޭ މި ބިނާ އާ ގާތްގަނޑަކަށް ފަންސާސް ވަރަކަށް ފޫޓު ދުރުގައި ވެވެއް ކަމަށް ފާހަގަކުރެވޭ ސަރަހައްދެއް ވާކަމަށްވެސް މަޢުލޫމާތު ލިބިފައިވާކަމަށެވެ. އަދި ހަމަ މި ގެއިން މީގެ ކުރިންވެސް ބިމު އަޑީގަ ހަދާފައިވާ އާސާރީ ސަރަހައްދެއްވެސް ފެނިފަވާކަމަށާ މިކަމާ ބެހޭ ދިރާސާތައް ކުރަމުންދާކަމަށް އެ މަރުކަޒުން މަޢުލޫމާތުދެއްވިއެވެ.