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5th July 1998

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Ports of callLanding on a land of heroism

UTHEEM, MALDIVES: Utheem is small, hard to find on a map of the Maldives, but from this island came one of the greatest heroes the Indian Ocean has ever known. In 1573 Portuguese invaders were on the verge of putting to death all Maldivians who refused to renounce Islam and become Christians. On the fateful night before the planned mass execution, a man from Utheem, Mohamed Thakurufaan, sailed secretly into Male' leading a band of freedom fighters. He shot the Portuguese tyrant who was Governor, routed the occupying forces and restored the islands to Islam and independence.

Facts passed down over 425 years have become embroidered by different narrators, but there is no gainsaying the triumph of this dedicated man from Utheem. In the Maldives he is a national hero and, because of his respect for religion, he continues to be held in the highest esteem. For Maldivians, a visit to Utheem has the awe of a pilgrimage. For foreigners, this small northern island with its population of about 700, is a quiet contrast in a country more often regarded as one glorious holiday resort.

The palace of national hero Mohamed Thakurufaan

Landing at Utheem is not easy. We arrived by launch and had to wait for a ladder to be brought so we could clamber down it onto the beach instead of swimming ashore. Tourists come by safari boat or by dhoni, one of the motorised all-purpose vessels that serve as taxis between islands. Foreigners have to obtain a special permit to visit Utheem because it is far from the islands designated as holiday resorts and the authorities are cautious about letting tourists upset the cultural and ecological environment.

There has been constant erosion of the island over the years so it is now much smaller than it was in the 16th century. At that time, Mohamed Thakurufaan and his two brothers, Ali and Hassan, were the scions of a well-respected family. The graves of his grandfather and father, an island chief, are still to be seem at the abandoned mosque in what is now the uninhabited part of the island.

The graves of men in the Maldives are marked with a pointed headstone, those of women with a rounded one. There were fears that the Portuguese, angry at Mohamed and his brothers for their prolonged guerilla activities, would try to disturb the grave of their father. To mislead them, a rounded headstone was placed on it so outsiders would think it was a woman's grave. A pointed headstone was buried below the round one.

The gate way of the palace

The house where this hero of the Maldives used to live is well preserved, and open to visitors (at a cost of the equivalent of SL Rs 135). It is a profound experience to visit because it is constructed in traditional style, while most houses in the Maldives are simple coral cottages or new buildings of cement blocks.

It is known as a palace since Mohamed Thakurufaan became Sultan, founding dynasty that endured for 121 years. It stands in a compound of buildings surrounded by a low white wall from which white flags placed by worshippers can be seen fluttering outside its verandah. This is low-roofed with wooden posts, whose base is painted a bright blue, supporting the overhang.

The interior of the palace is hung with white flags and contains relics of the past, including wooden sandals of different eras. Furniture, such as antique beds and large wooden chests, are preserved for their connection with the hero who lived there. A modern monument has been built on the other side of the vast, sand-covered open area that forms Utheem's public square. This is the "Bodu Thakurufaan Memorial Centre" and serves as a place of study for scholars, as well as having a library devoted to religious and historical books on the Maldives.

There is an air of tranquillity about Utheem. Like many of the inhabited islands of the Maldives, there seems to be very little happening by day because the men are either fishing or have migrated to holiday resorts or Male for work, and the women remain in their homes out of the sun.

It is possible to wander freely around Utheem, imagining how the island must have been over 425 years ago. Legend has it that as a boy Mohamed Thakurufaan would go to the beach and trap birds with his bare hands.

He would talk softly to them, warning them to be more careful and not let themselves be so trusting as to get caught.

Then he freed them. He was regarded as a romantic dreamer but, after his father sent him to India to study, he returned as a brilliant seaman and an inspiring, natural leader.

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