Who are Memons?

Memon community is widely spread around the world. They are well-known for trading and are renowned as rich businessmen. In this brief article, we will explore the Memon community in Sri Lanka and their customs.

The Memon community in Sri Lanka is a very small community of about 5000 people, and they know each other very well as they are at least distantly related to each other. Memons have been a trading community of Gujarat, a city in India, that have converted in to Islam during the 12th century. There are many different versions of the story because it is passed over from generation to generation by oral tradition. The most famous theory about their descent is called ‘Lohana Theory’. The theory surrounds a story where a Hindu merchant community known as the Lohana, in India embraced Islam. Therefore Memons have many customs and traditions similar to the Hindus, although they also have some traditions similar to the Muslims.

The role of the community plays a major part in Memon lives. They are a closely bound community which hardly welcomes outsiders to their functions and get-togethers. But don’t get the wrong impression. They are extremely polite and warm people. However they are very conservative too.

When it comes to Memon weddings, the marriages are usually pre-arranged through proposals. Marriages between people from outside the community are not allowed. Memons are extremely respectful of their parents and elders and are a community that leads a lavish lifestyle.

It is indeed interesting to explore the world around a little bit because there is a lot of diversity tangled in common things. Memons are a perfect example of how a community can be very unique yet have a lot of things in common with others at the same time. So let’s explore more of cultural diversity and new insights in our future articles.