The Thrills And Frills Of Osun Osogbo Festival News Date:— Jan 2, 2015 | Leave a comment The month of August is synonymous with festivals from Osun Osogbo to Sango to Igbo Ukwu New Yam festival highlighting the rich tapestry of Nigeria’s cultural diversity. Though Osun Osogbo festival said to be over 600 years had to contend with the Ebola Virus scare this year, it was not enough to keep, worshippers and tourists at bay as Omolola Itayemi discovered The belief that you can gauge the tempo of an event from your point of take-off was missing in this year’s Osun Osogbo festival. Unlike the past editions, passengers taking off from Ojota inter-state bus park were not many as buses and cabs took time to fill up despite the fact that it was a day to the grand finale of the festival. Blame it on the directives from the government of Osun State asking tourists to keep away from this year’s festival to prevent the spread of Ebola Virus and you won’t be wrong. The first indication that I was wrong was at the Osun Children’s Cultural Fiesta organised by Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) which took place on the eve of the grand final at the palace ground. I got in just in time to witness it. There were competitions to encourage the children. They came in four categories – drumming, dancing, cultural fashion parade and Yoruba spelling and N200,000 was expended as prise money to the winners of the various competitions. The children came in numbers and participated with fervour. The Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) Mrs. Sally Mbanefo said it was necessary to include culture/tourism in the school curriculum to enable children grasps the basics of same as they grow. Large Turnout at Osun Festiva In spite of the directives to foreigners to stay away, the turnout at the festival was huge. As early as 9pm on Friday, 22nd August, when the writer got to the palace of the Ataoja of Osogboland, HRM Oba Jimoh Olanpekun Larooye II and chief celebrant of the festival, the palace was already filled to the rafters. ‘Ese Yeye Osun’ is the common greeting here and it was on everybody’s lips. From worshippers dressed in white to tourists to members of the media, there was almost no place to stand. The grand finale of 2014 Osun Osogbo Festival, which began with the Iwopopo, the traditional cleansing of the town, followed three days later by the lighting of the 500-year-old 16-point lamp called ‘Ina Olojumerindinlogun.’ Osun-Osogbo festival is less about merrymaking and more about the mind, heart and divinity of a people bonded by unique culture and history. For culture enthusiasts, the festival is like a pilgrimage and even with the directive from the state, we had enthusiasts from Brazil and USA. Dancing, singing, praise worshipping, commerce and every other thing was going on at once. Even the pickpockets were hard at work as there were intermittent screams of ‘I can’t find my phone’. It wasn’t strange to see officers of the law dragging off a thief that had been nabbed. The correspondent from NTA, Oyinnaya Kalu Oka lost her phone to a thief, we caught him and apprehended him but he had been swift enough to give it to a comrade of his, showing off contents of his pocket knowing the phone wasn’t there. The happenings at the palace ground however got to a climax when the Arugba (Votary Virgin) emerged from the inner sanctum of the palace. Frenzied scenes greeted her entrance into the groove; thousands participated in the visual spectacle of finger snapping, front to back motions over their heads to ward off bad luck as they prayed, perhaps refusing a curse or merely part of a trend. As the Arugba and her entourage went from one side of the palace ground to another, the crowd filed after them, pushing and tugging with some screaming for help as they fell into the shallow gutter lining the sides of the palace walls. At this point, the fear of contacting the Ebola Virus was abated as physical contact could not be avoided. Among the traditional activities that have lit the 2014 festivities is the Arugba’s Berth. Held on Tuesday, August 19, it was a day to celebrate the votary maidens, who have burnt the light of the festival these past five centuries of performance – ladies, who devoted their teenage years to the service of the deity before they were released for marriage. Arugba is the virgin maid who carries the famous calabash, which bears the propitiation materials to the Osun River. To devotees of Osun, the Arugba is not just a virgin maid, but also a goddess on whom they cast all their problems as she carries the calabash to the Osun River. This singular responsibility makes the Arugba the second key individual in the festival after the Kabiyesi. The mantle to carry the broad-rimmed calabash to the sacred Osun River this year still rests on little Miss Osuntomi Oyetunji, who took over the responsibility from former Miss Abolade Oyewale, who ferried the calabash for 10 years. Osuntomi is a direct daughter of the sitting Ataoja. The long walk to the Osun grove wasn’t different as people took to different means to get there, from motorists to commercial motorcyclists. But unlike the palace where there were no medical facilities, the state government had anticipated a crowd of this size and had put in place medical facilities to screen the multitude before they are allowed into the Osun grove. Speaking on behalf of Governor Rauf Aregbesola at the occasion, the Special Adviser to the Osun State governor, on Culture, Arts and Tourism, Mr. Ladi Soyode said: “We wanted to limit human contacts as well as prevent contaminating the river”. He said despite the government’s warning, people still trooped out in large numbers to participate in the annual festival, which is over 600 years old. But the government had already preempted this outcome and made adequate plans to accommodate the multitude. One of such effort is by setting up a medical committee on Ebola virus whose responsibility was to safeguard tourists.” I saw the media team handing gloves and mask to tourists and locales. Going by what the Chief Medical Officer of Ladoke Akintola University, Dr. Femi Fadiora said about 20 infrared thermometers and two-isolation centres were made available in case of Ebola Virus emergencies; it was quite comforting to see the medical team on site. The Grove has numerous attractions. From the custodian of Osun goddess showering blessings on visitors to monkeys roaming free in trees, it’s a life-time experience. Down by the river bank, there is a mass of devotees; filling plastic containers with water, having their fortunes told, washing their heads and faces in the river, or just loitering around. There was a royal reception for sponsors and dignitaries (Oba of Osogbo and Director General NTDC and hordes of traditional rulers), which is preceded by the entrance of the Arugba (something of a virgin Mary figure) who carried the offering to the river. Osunyemi Ataoju, a traditional believer who resides in USA and comes in every year for the festival said: “As a traditional believer, the significance of this festival to the people of Osogbo is that we are doing this in commemoration with the sacred pact we had with the Osun deity in those days. It is celebrated to mark the commemoration of events that led to the founding of Osogbo town and the renewal of ancestral bonds between the Osun goddess and the people of Osogbo. We do this every year from Nigeria and all over the world. It’s like celebrating Christmas and Ileeya. Look at me, I am 80 years old, do I look it? This is the work of Osun in my life.” Mr. Ayo Olumoko, Managing Director, INFOGEM Ltd and Marketing Consultant of the Festival spoke about the festival and the impact of Ebola Virus scare: “I am happy that what we are doing here will be showcased all over the world and the shine will not be taken way from it.” For Sally Mbanefo who is attending for the first time, “it’s a learning curve for me. It is very, very interesting and my first exposure to this and any Nigerian cultural event and this is just amazing. I’m learning and asking questions from so many aspects of it. Business Dulls This Year… The festival has a business side to it and can be seen from the different brands mounting stands within the palace and across town with some giving out freebies. Osun State under Rauf Aregbesola administration is one of the few states that has keyed into tourism as a tool of economic transformation and Osun-Osogbo was a perfect opportunity for this. However, this year’s edition must have been strongly felt by the locals who witnessed a lull in business activities. Hotels and guest houses had unoccupied rooms by the grand finale which is not the norm. Sellers of white plastic cans used by worshippers for storing water from the sacred grove had lots unsold. A drive round town after we left the grove showed little traffic on the road compared to the past where traffic on that same road used to be very high. According to regulars, there had been physical facelift of facilities and rehabilitation of roads leading to Osun groove. Venue and security was greatly improved upon; a new platform where dignitaries sat and a bigger car park compared to what was obtained before.
Posted on: Fri, 02 Jan 2015 20:54:44 +0000
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