Nigerians have been tasked on the need to protect and preserve their culture for generations yet unborn.
This came to fore at the grand finale of the 2023 annual Osun Osogbo festival.
Osun, an annual festival in Osogbo usually in the month of August.
The festival is believed to have a history of more than 700 years.
It is a fourteen-day festival which begins with the traditional cleansing of Osogbo knowns as ‘Iwopopo’, lighting of 500 year-old sixteen-point lamp known as ‘Atupa Olojumerindinlogun’ among others.
Here is the grand finale of this year’s celebration of the festival.
Commercial activities are at its peak as people use the opportunity to buy a number of items including beads.
At about 11o clock in the morning, the Votary made stepped out of the palace.
accompanied by Osun worshippers and thousands of people.
On her way to the grove, she made stopover to pay homages to some ancestral compounds as tradition demands.
She arrived the grove after about an hour.
Then follows the arrival of the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, his wives, chiefs among others.
He used the occasion to pray for the State and Nigeria at large.
The State Governor also attended the festival for the first time. He came alongside some members of his cabinet.
A renown cultural enthusiast, Nike Okundaye speaks on why the annual celebration attracts both local and foreign tourists.
The Araba Awo of Osogbo, High Chief Ifayemi Elebuibon has this message for the people on the culture and tradition.
The event which featured a lot of side attractions also had in attendance, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba land, Chief Gani Adams and many foreign tourists including Daniella who came from Belgium to witness the festival.
While the celebration is underway, some are here to fetch from the river to be taken to their various homes.
Addressing journalists at a programme shortly after the festival, Chief Gani Adams emphasize the need for religious tolerance.
Osun Osogbo sacred Grove is a UNESCO world Heritage site and tourists believe giving the site a facelift is necessary considering it’s importance.
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