Kalhuohfunmi arrives in Mal

Kalhuohfunmi, the replica of the sailing boat used by Mohamed Thakurufaanu in his endeavour to free Maldives from Portuguese occupation, has arrived in Malé.

Before being take to Malé, the boat was inaugurated at the official ceremony held to mark National Day in Haa Alifu Utheemu on 12 December 2015.

A large crowd gathered to see Kalhuohfunmi as it arrived at Izzuddin Jetty on Friday.

Speaking at a ceremony to mark its arrival, Minister of State for Home Affairs Ahmed Saleem said that the construction of a Kalhuohfunmi replica shows the government’s commitment to reviving and sustaining Maldives' history.

Referring to the material used in the construction, he said, “Coconut palms located on the sides of the island from which the sun rises [east] and the sun goes down [west] were used to construct this boat. That is, the same kind of material used by Mohamed Thakurufaanu after research back then.”

The cost of the project to build the 51-foot-6-inch boat is estimated at around MVR 1 million.