Fuvahmulaku Havitta DATE: 2006-08-21 Any visit to this island atoll would be regarded as incomplete if a visit has not been made to the great mound of Fuvahmulah or the Havitta. Havitta is an ancient ruin of possibly a Buddhist stupa as the historians such as Bell and Thor Heyerdahl both who had visited the island suggest. Bell who was from Sri Lanka and had made enormous contribution to the history and archaeology of the Maldives, visited this island in 1922. The great Havitta is today reduced to barely 7 meters in (25 feet) height, from what our ancestors remember as a huge place. It is said that when this ancient structure was in relatively good condition, people were able to view Addu from a coconut tree that stood on the top of this great mound. Today, it is reduced to from its original size to rubble of corals where one can hardly be impressed with its sight. Havitta bears testimony to the destruction of culture and old heritage. It was built with the original casing masonry coral blocks. Like other similar places throughout the Maldives the Havitta has been plundered and robbed and its important slabs were stolen by the islanders for the use of construction of houses. The scale of this destruction can be measured by the fact that according to the elder people in the island what remains the great Havitta today is actually the remain of the second Havitta at the place. There used to be a bigger Havitta which has been completely destroyed as the islanders had taken away all its stones. To the credit of Heyerdahl he discovered a third Havitta nearby the present one which suggests that the whole place had been an important place which once used to be a thriving place of worship. While the historical importance of these places cannot be undermined, it is true that part of the destruction was due to the excavation of this place by government sponsored excavators and archaeologists trying to ascertain or establish its relevance in the period prior to the conversion of Islam. Nevertheless, the islanders have no record of what has been taken out from their ancestral legacy. Heyerdahl in his book however, refers to Magi Eduruge Ibrahim Diddi, a knowledgeable islander who had a keen interest in history and a great memory of folklores. According to Ibrahim Diddi some one from Male (a government sponsored team led by Adam Naseeru Maniku) came in 1946 and excavated Havitta and made a huge trench there. They finally found four stone boxes and a stone incense burner, each of the box were divided into two parts or chambers, one filled with charcoal ashes, and the other with valuable jewels like gold strips. Others report it to be of three boxes and according to official Fuvahmulaku website; these are now kept in the National Museum of the Maldives. Since it is a sad practice in the Maldives to take away anything of any value found in atolls to the capital Male, leaving the islanders deprived of their cultural heritage and treasure. In reality no one for certainty knows how many of such treasures have been taken away from this important historical place. One may wonder why the government do not consider leaving such historical heritage with its rightful owners and build atoll museums around the country to keep their own treasures. Surely, with the expansion of tourism historical elements of the atolls and islands would play a major part to draw the visitor’s interests to the local culture and history. It is reported that many statues have been discovered from this Havitta the most famous being that of Mahafothi Kalege, it is the image of a man with a fish. It is also said that Havitta was built by a person in pre-Islamic era whose name the islanders say is Redin. Though better late, then never, government finally recognised the historical importance of this place by issuing an order prohibiting the taking of any stone or excavation of the place by the islanders. Despite a ring of chain put around Hawitta, it still remains largely open for the thieves and robbers to take away what is remain there. To witness the Hawitta is to witness the destruction historical treasure. ORIGINAL SOURCE: http://dreamatolls.com/fuvahmulah/mark/havitta.shtml Related Links: All photos tagged with Havitta -- AUTHOR: | CATEGORY: History & Culture | HITS: 2281 AXYMA Says: I WANT VISIT FUVAHMULAH AND GO TO HAVITTA Posted on: 2007-01-20 nish Says: i really miss tht place , its been long tym i havnt even cn tht place Posted on: 2007-06-03 Says: who talled fuvahmulak is most beautiful island of maldives!!!!!!!!!!!!???????????? i think the one who talled that, that he/she is not got a chance to visit the beautiful islands like Utheemu, kadithymu....etc Posted on: 2007-11-14 wadday Says: well, i can say i have been Utheem and I can't compare with fuvahmulah my dear Unknown. how ever i havn't been Kanditheem but i can't say kandhitheem is not beautiful than Utheem. Utheem is a nice place. but not more than Fuvahmulah. thank you buddy :) Posted on: 2007-11-24 hussain Says: is that so nice?i hav'nt been to fuvahmulah but i dont think we can compare fuahmulah or even utheem with kanditheem ,as there is a very very beautiful small island which is connected to kanditheem where there is what we call the cave of "fee boa",so wht u tjink? Posted on: 2008-10-28 Says: havittha ge fahuge foto ehh upload kohh dheebala plx\ i want see havittha Posted on: 2008-11-01   Write a comment     NAME: COMMENT:    Recent Articles  > Social Protection Service to be introduced in 11 atolls: Gender Ministry  > Increase in children’s death by drowning  > Windows XP Easter Egg Hidden Secret Trick  Recent Photos     > MOST RECENT PHOTOS > MOST POPULAR PHOTOS