Thrills and frills of the Osun Osogbo festival

According to history, in about 1370AD the founder of Osogbo, Oba Gbadewolu Larooye and the great hunter Olutimehin settled in the sacred Osun forest to establish the kingdom and actualized a pact of association and togetherness with the River Osun deity. Since then Osogbo has remained peaceful, progressive and benevolent city without any ravage of […]

According to history, in about 1370AD the founder of Osogbo, Oba Gbadewolu Larooye and the great hunter Olutimehin settled in the sacred Osun forest to establish the kingdom and actualized a pact of association and togetherness with the River Osun deity. Since then Osogbo has remained peaceful, progressive and benevolent city without any ravage of war or pestilence. This pact of association, which is rekindled in August every year, is the foundation of a cultural fiesta that has catapulted itself into world recognition as one of the largest tourist attraction in Nigeria.

Another version says founders of Osogbo who were hunters migrated from their previous settlement because of dearth of potable water. In the cause of their search for water, they came to the Osun grove and in the process of cutting weeds and trees to be able to get water; one of the trees fell on a pot belonging to the goddess of the Osun State. This angered the Osun Goddess and she lamented seriously. The hunters appeased her and pledged annual sacrifice.

This year, many spectators and tourists, for two uninterrupted weeks, joined adherents of the Osun Osogbo deity for the annual festival. The festival started with spiritual cleansing of the town and was followed by the lightening of the centuries old 16-points lamp three days later (Olójúmérìndínlógún). There was also the assemblage of all the crowns of past rulers (Ataojas) for blessings follows some four days later. On Friday, August 25, there was the Grand Finale showcasing the cultural procession of the people to the Osun Grove.

One thing that interested the festival attendees, especially foreign tourists, is the Naira rain on the Osun River Goddess by the adherents of the deity who struggled to dole out money on the river goddess as a form of supplication. “The gesture was in appreciation of what he has received from the river goddess. It would be unfair not to pay back the goddess to make her happy so that she would bless him the more,” said Mr Taju Osuntokun, one of the adherents, who also fetched water from the Osun river in various containers.

Another adherent told Weekly Trust that when Osun State was created from the old Oyo State 21 years ago, it was named after the deity. Osogbo, the state capital where the Osun grove is sited has grown phenomenally on account of this ancient site. The creativity inspired by Osun goddess made Osogbo a centre of arts and culture where indigenous but world renowned artists and artistes emerged. It also attracted arts scholars from all over the world to the city.

“Osun and everything attached to it constitute the core of Osogbo and form the archetype of the people. Osun is largely regarded to be the purveyor of fertility, divine favour, healing, protection, creativity and prosperity,” he said.

The festival has entered the global almanac of international festivals and the land on which Osun is being located is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Apparently determined to exploit the Osun Osogbo site to improve the economy of the state, the state government elevated the status of the international cultural festival by giving Osun Osogbo grove a facelift to impress the tourists.

In his address during this year Osun Osogbo festival, titled “Exploring the Benefits of Cultural Tourism”, Governor Rauf Aregbesola who was represented on the occasion by his deputy, Titilayo Tomori, noted that tourism is an avenue to aide economy.

The governor said this was the reason why his government places a high premium on tourism, because his administration appreciates the fact that culture is the soul of a people and helps to foster unity, builds character, and encourages communal harmony and peace.

He noted that his administration’s plan was to make the state a tourist attraction by promoting Osun festivals and culture of people of the state. He stressed that part of the plan of his administration was to promote the festival to an international level and make it compete favourably with other festivals globally.

Aregbesola described this year’s festival as well packaged than the previous ones because of the planning and money invested in its preparation. He noted that the objective of government was to ensure that a memorable celebration was achieved. He promised that the trend would continue so that each annual celebration of the festival will surpasses the previous ones.

“Asa government, our vision is to develop a cultural tourism in the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove which is a World Heritage Site. Our plan is to make it a major international tourist centre, complete with modern and up-to-date infrastructural facilities”.

However, this year edition of Osun festival lacked the usual spice as royal families of Osogbo who usually play certain traditional roles and bring excitement to the event shunned the festival due to the controversy over the appointment of the occupant of the throne of Ataoja of Osogboland.

The spokesperson of the Osogbo royal families, Prince Lateef Akinyemi told Weekly Trust that princes and princesses refused to play their role because they did not recognize the occupant of Ataoja throne, Alhaji Jimoh Olanipekun.

Prince Akinyemi noted that the royal families in Osogbo who instituted the case against the occupant of the throne will not want to be part of illegality and that this informed their decision to stay away from the Osun festival as they are awaiting the decision of the Court of Appeal on the matter.

Justice Jide Falola had in a ruling on the matter said “It is necessary to react promptly and declare that under the law, there is no Ataoja of Osogbo on the throne presently, the applicant (Oyetunji) is an impostor. The instrument of office has been withdrawn by a valid and subsisting order of this court since 18thy of February, 2011”.

The Judge stated further that “the right which he claimed to have is declared illegal and withdrawn and he cannot be recognized as the Ataoja of Osogbo until it is reversed by the Appeal Court, the order of this court still remain valid and subsisting. Therefore, Oyetunji must vacate the throne immediately”.

Osogbo royal families commended the state governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola over the efforts of the state government in promoting tourism through the Osun festival and assure the state government of unalloyed support in the efforts to take Osun State to greater heights.