Kinbidhoo (Thaa Atoll)

Maldives Island
ImageExists=Yes
island

island=Kinbidhoo
atoll=Thaa Atoll
location= Longitude= 73° 03' 52" E, Latitude= 02° 09' 40" N
population= 1218
length=930m
width=675m
male-distance=228.05km
island_chief=Mohamed Ibrahim
phone= [phone]
fax= [phone]

Kinbidhoo (Dhivehi: ކިނބިދޫ) is one of the inhabited islands of Thaa Atoll.

Kinbidhoo was struck by the tsunami that followed the Indian Ocean earthquake on December 26, 2004, which swept across the western coast of Sumatra and the whole island flooded completely, destroying some houses and farms, although there were no casualties.

Archaeology

There were important Buddhist ruins in an area of this island. The islanders call this place Veiru.The most cospicuous was a large Stupa whose stonse had been removed and looked like a very steep small hill. Muhammad Ismāīl Dīdī, led a Maldivian expedition to this island in order to explore the Buddhist ruins in the 1960s. Some excavations were conducted and a report on the Buddhist remains of Kimbidu Island was published. ["Divehi Tārīkhah Au Alikameh". There is a chapter on Kimbidu Stupa with pictures.]

Unfortunately the Buddhist site was not protected after excavation and has been heavily vandalized in recent times. The steep hill that marked the place where the ancient Stupa was has been almost flattened out. Also place is facing erosion.

Footnotes

References

*Xavier Romero-Frias, "The Maldive Islanders, A Study of the Popular Culture of an Ancient Ocean Kingdom". Barcelona 1999, ISBN 84 7254 801 5

*"Divehi Tārīkhah Au Alikameh". Divehi Bahai Thagaafa Khiduma kura Qawmi Majlis. Male'.

*http://www.tsunamimaldives.mv/?action=situationAssesment&do=atolls&sname=Th