Other uses of the palm tree and coconuts
The coconut palm is perhaps known best for the coconut fruits it bears, but has a variety of other uses. It has to be noted that in modern society, the use of the tree has been replaced by modern development. For example: the stem of the tree was traditionally used in boat building, but now it is commonly replaced by fiberglass. Nevertheless, on local islands most of the old practices are still in place and listed below.
From the husk of the coconut fruit, coconut fiber (coir) can be extracted. Coir can be used in products such as floor mats, doormats and mattresses. More so, it is used in the Maldives to make rope for decoration and is traditionally used for the production of fishing nets.
The shell can be used for decorative purposes as well. Local shops on Dhigurah have some painted dried coconut husks as well as carved out decorations.
Lastly, after grating a Kaashi, the shells are often dried (on local islands such as Dhigurah) to later use as charcoal to grill the catch of the day.
Though it is not common practice in the Maldives, from the stem a starch can be extracted and made into flour. As mentioned before, the palm wood used to be the foundation of boatbuilding in the Maldives. These days it is mostly used by local carpenters for furniture and carved into ornamentals.
Every Saturday the local women on Dhigurah collectively head out in search of fallen palm leaves. Apart from tidying up the island, the palm leaves are used! The collected goods are equally divided by the search party, after which they are made into decorative tatching and/or mats. These mats are used locally on sheds, bought by guest houses for decorative purposes or nearby resorts for the same reason.
Traditionally, palm leaves are used to create children toys as well.
Furthermore, ekels (hard ‘straws’) can be extracted from the palm leaves. After drying these straws, they can be bound together and serve as a broom. An ekel broom is locally known as an ‘Iloshi fathi’.
The root can be used as a dye. Additionally, the root and the coconut have also been used in traditional medicine.
The coconut has become an integral part of Maldivian life, and is regarded as the national tree of the Maldives. Apart from seeing a real life coconut palm around every corner, they can also be found on the national emblem, the 10 Rufiyaa bank note, and in many images in souvenir shops.
