In
the 1920's the Indian merchants who dominated retail trade
in Malé imported a shipment of children's dolls for
sale. The mullah's became upset and persuaded the authorities
to ban this.
In
the Maldive language, budhu, which is the term for
doll is the same as that for statue, idol and the Buddha.
The word must have been derived from Buddha. At that
stage any graphic representation of any life form, even on
paper was also budhu. That was why the photographs
that my grandfather took and shown here on this page were
highly illegal in the Maldives at that time.
The
mullahs argued that handling photographs and dolls amounted
to idolatory and resulted in apostasy.
My
aunt Uthuru Ganduvaru Tuttu Goma decided to play a prank over
the banning of the dolls.
She
invited the Acting Prime Minister and First Minister of the
Exchequer Athireegey Abdul Majeed Didi for afternoon tea at
her residence. Abdul Majeed Didi, evidently, had long harboured
a hopeless crush on my aunt (pictured above), who was stunningly
attractive.
In
the meantime my aunt had acquired a large quantity of the
contraband dolls from a friendly Indian merchant. When the
horny courtier turned up for his tea he found the reception
room decorated with all manner of children's dolls.
Apparently
he had his tea, but said very little and took his leave in
a hurry.
