Kuruhinna Tharaagandu is an archaeological site 2–4 hours from
Malé
Malé (, ; dv, މާލެ) is the capital and most populous city of the Maldives. With a population of 252,768 and an area of , it is also one of the most densely populated cities in the world. The city is geographically located at the southern ...
, in the island of
Kaashidhoo,
Maldives
Maldives (, ; dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ, translit=Dhivehi Raajje, ), officially the Republic of Maldives ( dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ, translit=Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa, label=none, ), is an archipelag ...
. The site is a
Buddhist Monastery
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
and is believed to have been used by pre-Islamic Maldivians dating back to the 7th to 8th century
AD. The excavation work was done in various periods from February 1996 through 1998.
[http://www.saarcculture.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=205] During this period, an area of 1,880m
2 was excavated, revealing 64 coral stone structures.
For the vast majority, only the lower most parts have been preserved.
Weathering and erosion
Due to the exposed nature of the archaeological site, and the fact that the structures were of coral stone, the site soon started showing signs of weathering and erosion.
On 6 October 2008,
US ambassador
Robert O. Blake Jr.
Robert Orris Blake Jr. (born 1957) is an American career diplomat who served as Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives from 2006 to 2009, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs from 2009 to 2013 and Ambassador to Indon ...
handed over a grant of 370,000
Rufiyaa
The Maldivian rufiyaa ( dv, ދިވެހި ރުފިޔާ; sign: Rf or ; code: MVR) is the currency of the Maldives. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA). The most commonly used symbols for the rufiya ...
($28,950)
under the
Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation, with the aim of helping the conservation efforts.
Photo gallery
Image:Buddhist ruins in kaashidhoo maldives.jpg
Image:Buddhist Monastery in Kaafu Kaashidhoo, Maldives.jpg
Image:Kuruhinna_Tharaagandu_(site_overview).jpg
Image:Kuruhinna_Tharaagandu_(center).jpg
Image:Buddhist_Monastery_in_K.Kaashidhoo,_Maldives_(Heart).jpg
Image:Kuruhinna_Tharaagandu_(sideview_2).jpg
Image:Kuruhinna_Tharaagandu_(decorations).jpg
Image:Kuruhinna_Tharaagandu_(sideview).jpg
Image:Buddhist_Monastery_in_K.Kaashidhoo,_Maldives_(Overview).jpg
Image:Entrance_to_a_Buddhist_Monastery_Dwelling..jpg
Image:Water_hole_in_Kaashidhoo_kuruhinna_tharaagandu_dwelling.jpg
Further reading
ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS OF A MONASTERY AT KASHIDHOOmaldivesinfo.gov.mv
(Search for Kaashidhoo)
References
{{Reflist
History of the Maldives
Archaeological sites in the Maldives