Group Members

Latheefa Ahmed
Ahmed Abdullah
Shiyama Hilmy
Fathimath Fasana

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INTRODUCTION
The aim of doing this field visit is to do an observational research. For

Observational Research:
that, our group of four students went to Machchangolhi graveyard on the
13th Aug 2009 at 4.30pm. The specific purpose of visiting this place was to
observe and collect the required information, which would be necessary

Machchangolhi Graveyard
for our research report.

METHOD
Prior to the visit our class (BEd – Primary and BATEFL) was divided into
five groups. Most of the groups consists of five students, where as there
were two groups, one having six members and the other with four
members. We happened to be the group with four members.

Before we went to the graveyard, we prepared a guideline to be specific in

finding the desired information. As the graveyard is to be looked after by
the government, our lecturer has made logistic plans before head. For
that, he had got the permission from the authorities concerned. Namely,
ministry of Islamic Affairs, Male’ Municipality and Machchangolhi Avashu
Office respectively.

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RESULT AND DISCUSSION
Although we went to the graveyard, there were some drawbacks we had
to face. One main issue was religious barrier: that ladies or girls are not
supposed to enter the place. Along with that, came the cultural taboos of
ghosts or supernatural bodies which some people think is dwelling in the
graveyard. These lead many students feel reluctant to go to the
graveyard.

In spite of the above mentioned factors, almost everyone was eager to go

into the place and find out what was inside the graveyard. But the place
was unexpected. We thought, there will be at least one or two Ziyaarai,
and many gravestones and the place would be properly maintained. Since
it was a graveyard, where our deceased loved ones rest in peace and our
religion teaches us to treat graveyards with respect, because it was a
sacred place.

But to our surprise, we found an unruling crowed outside the graveyard.

They treat it as their ‘pay toilets’ according to them. The place had a
terrible smell and looked horrible. There were not many tombs to be seen.
It looks as though, nobody had been buried for more than 10 years. Of the
few tombs that we had seen, some were broken and damaged. One thing
which is different from today is that there is a wall build around most of
the graves. The latest grave found in there was buried in 1993. Therefore
nobody has been buried since 16 years. There were heaps of fallen leaves
in different corners of the graveyard, which were evident that the place
has not been maintained in anyway. According to religious scholar []
“graveyards are to be maintained properly and men are supposed to visit
there.” In addition to that since graveyards are a place where dead bodies
are buried, people should not walk through them often and observe
silence while they are in the premises of the graveyard.

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Machchangolhi Graveyard 1: very few graves are found Machchangolhi Graveyard 2: Graves
surrounded by walls

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CONCLUSION
From what we have observed and by the words we have heard, we
conclude that this graveyard has been totally a ‘neglected place’
surrounded by a group of unruling crowed. As mentioned earlier, since it is
a sacred area, the government should have taken into consideration its
importance and must have kept at least a watcher to look after the place.
If we leave the graveyard for that crowed to use as a toilet, it is against
our cultural and ethical beliefs. Therefore, our suggestion after observing
this place is that, since it is not properly maintained as a graveyard, it can
be utilized for some other purpose. One important use can be to build
housing flats. We could remove the skeletons of the deceased buried
there and bury them in a place where they will be properly maintained
with respect. We feel it would be a good use for the congested Male’,
rather than keeping it as a place ‘forgotten’ by everybody else where
gangsters rule.

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REFERENCE
Ahmed, I. (2009). How respectful is a graveyard. [Interview]

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