Nakaiy - Monsoon Calendar

In a nation that is more sea than land (less than one per cent of the Maldives is land), the weather obviously plays a significant role in day to day life. Since earliest times, the Maldivian people have organized their lives around a calendar of nakaiy - a series of 13 or 14 day intervals, each with a predictable weather pattern. Every year brings two monsoons, iruvai (the north-east monsoon) and hulhangu (the south-west monsoon). To a visitor, this simply means the hot and dry season (iruvai) and the hot and west season (huhangu). 

But to the Maldivian people, each monsoon means a series of nakaiy which determine lifestyles for the next six months. This calendar is still used today to determine the best times to fish, travel or cultivate crops. Some people even use it before planning a marriage or building a house. It is said, for example, that children born in Maa amkaiy will attain high stations in life and that those born in Uthura nakaiy will be deeply religious. 

The nakaiy calendar goes something like this: 

Iruvai 

Dec 10 – Dec 22 Mula, Strong winds, rough seas. Fishing in the north is good

Dec 23 – Jan 5 Furahalha, Strong north easterly winds, rough seas. A good fishing season in the north

Jan 6 – Jan 18 Uthurahalha, Clear blue skies, strong winds and rough seas

Jan 19 – Jan 31 Huvan, Calm seas, blue skies. Fishing in the east is good.

Feb 1 – Feb 13 Dhinasha, North-easterly winds, moderate seas, plenty of sunshine

Feb 14 – Feb 26 Hiyaviha, Seas are calm, days and nights are hot.

Feb 27 – Mar 11 Furabadhuruva, Frequent, short sharp bursts of thunder and lightning. Small plants and bushes are cut down, left to dry and then burnt

Mar 12 – Mar 25 Fasbadhuruva, Usually clear blue skies. If thunder is frequent during this period, local lore says the yam harvest will be good for the year

Mar 26 – Apr 7 Reyva, If storms occur they may be severe. Fishing is good in the north. Some trees are cut down and burnt. 

Hulhangu 

Apr 8 – Apr 21 Assidha, Begins with a storm, then becomes hot and dry. People allow themselves to be wet by the first rains, believing it will bring them good luck. Fishing is poor, millet and trees are planted.

Apr 22 – May 5 Burunu, Begins with a storm and strong winds, then becomes calm. Fields are cleared, trees chopped and seeds sown.

May 6 – May 19 Keth,i Dark clouds, frequent rains. Dried leaves are burnt and the ashes spread over the fields. Sowing continues.

May 20 – Jun 2 Roanu, Storms, strong winds and rough seas. Fields are sown on some islands during this period

Jun 3 – Jun 16 Miyahelia, Storms, rough seas and strong westerly winds. Fields are sown and weeded.

Jun 17 – Jun 30 Adha, South westerly winds, light rain and schools of fish. Fields are weeded and transplanted.

Jul 1 – Jul 14 Funoa,s Storms and rough seas with frequent sudden gales. Weeding and transplanting continues.

Jul 15 – Jul 28 Fus, Wet and overcast. Fishing is good.

Jul 29 – Aug 10 Ahuliha, Less Frequent storms, calmer days. Grain harvests are reaped.

Aug 11 – Aug 23 Maa, Generally calm. Harvesting continues.

Aug 24 – Sept 6 Fura, Isolated showers, usually dry with light north westerly winds. Harvesting continues.

Sep 7 – Sep 20 Uthura, Strong north westerly winds, isolated showers

Sept 21 – Oct 3 Atha, Generally clear and calm with isolated showers

Oct 4 – Oct 17 Hitha, Light winds and isolated showers

Oct 18 – Oct 30 Hey, Strong winds from all directions.Fishing is excellent and the markets are filled with large tuna.

Nov 1 – Nov 13 Viha, Calm days. Fishing is good.

Nov 14 – Nov 26 Nora, Light winds, some sun showers. Sea current are unsettled as the north-east monsoon approaches

Nov 27 – Dec 9 Dosha, Light north-easterly winds. Good fishing. 

In tourist jargon, the seasons are described as ‘high’ and ‘low’. From November through to April, tourists flock to the islands to enjoy clear blue skies and tropical sunshine. From May until October, the weather can be temperamental – a mixed bag of sunshine, showers and storms – and tourist prices are slashed to entice visitors in spite of the weather. 

Year round the temperature rarely falls below 25degC most often settling around 30degC. 

Source: TripAdvisor , Pic: weather

Confess Even If Innocent

As Maldivian citizens, we've all been brought up with the notion that we actually have some rights, and that we are to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. However, with the Maldives crime situation the way it is, the politicians have whittled down our rights to a very slender minimum. At the same time, the police have been given additional rights that would likely surprise or even shock the average person.

The end result of all this is an unfortunate lop-sided justice system that actually favors experienced criminals, while punishing the innocent. This is antithetical to the original purpose of our rights. The rights we think are intended to protect the innocent while punishing the guilty with a fair hand of justice.

In our current system, experienced criminals learn the inside secrets of the police and prosecutorial system as they get arrested and hassled again and again. They build up a resistance to police investigation and interrogation tactics, and are then less likely to become incarcerated. As they gain experience, they don't make the same mistakes when talking with the police, and become far more aware of their rights than the average citizen.

As a result of this ''on the job training'' of criminals, the police have constantly complained that criminals have too many rights, and that they have too few powers. The media portrays criminals getting off on ''technicalities'', enraging the average citizen. The politicians, at the behest of the average citizen, have gotten into action stripping away rights, and providing more powers to the police. As an average law abiding citizen, this seems like a good idea. Fight crime and all that. The problem is that this reduction of our rights comes at a significant price.

That price is that innocent citizens are woefully unaware of their rights, and the powers and tactics of the police. Should some unfortunate soul get caught up in the justice system they are likely to be eaten alive. An amazing number of innocent citizens have had their lives ruined by erroneous or malicious prosecution. In fact, some police interrogation tactics are so effective that innocent people often confess to crimes they did not commit.