“Over 60,000 Tourists From All Around The World Celebrated Osun Festival This Year In Osogbo- Organizing Committee reveals
Tourists, devotees as well as cultural enthusiasts from across the globe trooped into the ancient city of Osogbo to join the fiesta marking the grand finale of the annual Osun Osogbo festival in Osogbo , Osun state Nígeria.
Ancestrals’ correspondent in Osogbo reports that it had always given a boost to socio- economic activities in the Osun capital and its environs . He said , despite the restrictions to avoid much agglomeration, the festival still received thousands of devotees from all around the world
The reports as early as 8.am this friday 12th , August , many Osun devotees were sighted singing and dancing on major roads in the city centre while others exhibited some cultural artifacts near the Osun grove.
Many devotees were also seen carrying plastic bottles and kegs and moving to the Osun River to fetch some water for spiritual purposes.
The state government had, however, warned devotees not to drink the water from the river as it had been contaminated . Task forces were set by the state government to stop devotees who wouldn’t listen from drinking the water
Masquerade chantings , incantations , shootings sporadically into the air with dane guns to the admiration of the international tourists.
The Yoruba nation activists , Oodua Progressive Union (OPU) and several other groups paraded the scene with chants and displays .
The organizing committee, according to Ancestrals’ correspondent provided Security personnel, including those of the NSCDC and Nigerian Police as well as FRSC were positioned at strategic locations within the capital city to ensure law and order as well as ease human and vehicular movement in Osogbo and Osun state .
There are also reports that food and souvenir vendors took advantage of the influx of visitors to make brisk business , they sell at outrageous prices in all available currencies .
The Osun Osogbo event, which started on Aug.1 ended this Friday with a young maiden, Arugba, who carried a calabash on her head as a symbolic sacrifice to the river goddess.
According to the Curator and Site Manager of Osun Osogbo Grove, Mr Adekunle Fatai, no fewer than 60,000 devotees and tourists witnessed the grand finale.
The Osun-Osogbo festival, whose history dates back to many centuries, is usually celebrated in an ancient grove believed to be among the last of the sacred forests still remaining among Yoruba cities.
The grand finale also counted with the presence of Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba land , Iba Gani Adams and his troop , they paraded in grand style at the final event
The Sacred grove , In recognition of its global significance and cultural value, was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. According to the people of Osogbo land, the annual festival symbolises the traditional cleansing of the town and cultural reunion of the people with their ancestors and founders of Osogbo Kingdom.
The popularity of the grove , according to history , was an initiative , a spiritual dedication of Yeye Osun , the late Adunni Olorisa , the Austria born Suzanne Wenger.