Island, I see, I concur

AWAY FROM CLICHÉD LUXURY AND MANICURED RESORT ISLANDS, MANEK S. KOHLI STUMBLES UPON THE REAL MALDIVES. THERE’S HISTORY, RUSTICITY, AND A LITTLE MYSTERY

- MANEK S. KOHLI

There is more to the equatorial paradise of the Maldives than meets the eye, but let’s start with what does. The glint of red from the bangles worn by so many Indian women, honeymooning with their hubbies, only dwarfed in numbers by white divers and tanned sunbathers. lost in their midst, the locals. Speedboats whizzing across turquoise waters to a thousand white-sand islands, boasting myriad overwater villas. each private and sequestered, apparently.

However, the obvious Instaworthiness—while photographing tropical beauty, filters only subtract (#nofilterneeded)—may eventually turn you blasé. “other than its appearance and my seemingly insatiable thirst for piña colada,” you may contemplate, “What’s more to the Maldives?” And that’s when you must turn your gaze to the ‘more than what meets the eye’.

Like history and religion. Most people treat the capital city, Malé, as a port of entry or an insignificant blip on the radar. At two square kilometres, it is one, but if you step away from the jetty and look inwards, there is much to explore.

A prominent pillar of faith is the 867-year-old Darumavanta Rasgefanu Miskiy (Miskiy is ‘mosque’ in Dhivehi). It stands inconspicuous and looks rather plain. That’s because the oldest mosque of the Muslim country wasn’t built to be showy, but a symbol of transition from Buddhism to Islam. If a visual spectacle is what you’re looking for, make a beeline for the Malé hukuru Miskiy (Malé Friday Mosque). A part of it is constructed using dried coral, but the 17th-century structure is truly made impressive by its intricate Quranic carvings, traditional Maldivian woodcarving and lacquer work, and the towering blue-and-white minaret.