Maldives: beach villas, relaxing resorts, serene sunbathing and numerous water sports. There is more to the archipelago than these. Maldives has an illustrious history as well, the best place to observe this history being Utheema Ganduvaru.
Utheema Ganduvaru is where Sultan Mohamed Thakurufaanu was born. He was a Sultan of Utheema dynasty who worked tirelessly with his siblings and countrymen to drive out the Portuguese who invaded the country in 1558. This struggle, which lasted eight long years, is among the most famous incidents in the Maldivian history. Thus, their birthplace and the palace they grew up in is well preserved to keep a tangible memento of history.
Built out of wood, the palace is not like the palaces one is accustomed to from movies and fairy tales. While it does exude luxury, it is luxury in a simplistic manner, and the palace is able to hold many a visitor in awe with its uniqueness. There are swing beds that the royalty slept in, swinging in order to ward away the heat, traditional lamps that burned with the light from coconut oil, intricate traditional designs carved into wood, and perhaps the most intriguing of all, a large shed with a palm-frond roof which served as the “guest room”. This novelty of a palace will be explained to you in detail by the local palace guide who joins in on every tour, and will even take you to the museum located nearby to explain the history further.
Located on the Northern Atolls, on the opposite side of the island collection from Adaaran Select Hudhuranfushi, Utheemu Ganduvaru is worth a visit if you are interested in different cultures. Disembarking on the island from a speed boat, it is not difficult to imagine the modest majesty with which the ancient Sultans ruled the land.
| Roland Lefevre is a travel writer who specializes in creating features on leisure as well as business travel destinations across the globe. Google+ |
