Music of The Maldives - Religious Songs

Religious Songs

Formerly in the islands of Maldives, there was a festival called Maulūdu, where religious songs were sung by groups of males within a pavilion (haruge) specially built for the occasion. When a Maulūd was arranged, local islanders had to build a large, open-sided pavilion with wooden poles. They would thatch it with coconut-palm fronds, and decorate it with oil lamps and special patchwork draperies. The day of the event, special food would be prepared, and beautifully displayed for the benefit of the Maulūd singers and a great number of guests coming from their rival island (or village), in their best dresses, on festively decorated boats. Here the host islanders had to prove themselves hospitable in the preparations and accommodation, in order to be able to compare favorably when it was their own turn to receive hospitality in the rival island on a similar occasion. Another name for religious songs is madaha.