Photos have emerged from the ongoing  activities to celebrate the grand finale of the Osun-Osogbo festival with devotees of Osun goddess, tourists, cultural enthusiasts and indigenes seen at the shrine of the god.

The highlight of the grand finale will see a votary maid (Arugba Osun), going to the river with a calabash filled with antiquities to worship the goddess of the river.

Below are photos from the venue of the annual festival:


A woman chief priest (m) offers pryers to worshipers at Osun shrine in the palace. Photo: Emmanuel Osodi


Pic 1 Daughters of Osun waiting to pray to their god at the Osun shrine at the palace. Photo: Emmanuel Osodi


Osun worshipers offers prayers to their god. Photo: Emmanuel Osodi


A woman and her children sell prepare beeds for sell in front of the palace: Photo: Emmanuel Osodi


Osun worshippers buys beeds in prepareration of the festival. Photo: Emmanuel Osodi


Worshippers at the shrine. Photo: Emmanuel Osodi


An Osun worshipper during her prayers to the gods. Photo: Emmanuel Osodi


Osun worshippers pose for photograph ofter offering their their prayers at the palace. Photo: Emmanuel Osodi


People waiting to pray. Photo: Emmanuel Osodi


Osun worshippers at the shrine in the palace. Photo: Emmanuel Osodi




The lady that will carry the pot on her head is being escuted by women prists to the palace. ARUGBA GIRL: Photo: Emmanuel Oso



https://www.naij.com/525975-photos-ongoing-osun-osogbo-festivals.html

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https://www.naij.com/525975-photos-ongoing-osun-osogbo-festivals.html

Lalasticlala help with the needful

Now this is what I'm talking about, we priding in our own heritage not being sold out to western bamboozle in the name of religion

Idol worship

Osun-Osogbo or Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove is a sacred forest along the banks of the Osun river just outside the city of Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria.

The Osun-Osogbo Grove is among the last of the sacred forests which usually adjoined the edges of most Yoruba cities before extensive urbanization. In recognition of its global significance and its cultural value, the Sacred Grove was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.

The 1950s saw the desecration of the Osun-Osogbo Grove: shrines were neglected, priests abandoned the grove as customary responsibilities and sanctions weakened. Prohibited actions like fishing, hunting and felling of trees in the grove took place until Austrian, Susanne Wenger, came and stopped the abuse going on in the grove.

With the encouragement of the Ataoja and the support of the local people, "Wenger formed the New Sacred Art movement to challenge land speculators, repel poachers, protect shrines and begin the long process of bringing the sacred place back to life by establishing it, again, at the sacred heart of Osogbo

The early history of the Oshogbo people is founded on mythical and spiritual beliefs, along the lines of the traditions of the Yoruba people. The Osun River goddess is credited with the founding and establishment of Oshogbo town. Some accounts describe her as Oso-Igbo, the queen and original founder of Oshogbo town. Thus, the Osun Oshogbo festival, which has been celebrated for about six hundred centuries, was built around a relationship between the river goddess, Osun, and the first monarch of Oshogbo kingdom, Oba Gbadewolu Larooye.
 
Many centuries ago, hunters from a nearby village (Ipole Omu), named Larooye and Olatimehin and their subjects migrated in search of water. They finally settled at a place very near the Osun River in present day Osogbo. Later, Larooye became the first Ataoja (King) of Osogbo, as one of the initial builders of the settlement. These men and their subjects knew nothing about the administration of the goddess of the Osun River. As time passed by, members of the established community were engaged in preparation of grounds for a planting season when a tree fell into the river and a mysterious voice was heard from the Osun River saying: "Larooye, Olatimehin, gbogbo Ikoko Aro mi leti fo tan”, meaning, you have destroyed all my dinning pots. Having heard this mysterious voice, they were afraid for they never knew how the goddess of the river knew their names.  After Oba Larooye and other lesser spirits within the community pacified the goddess of the river by saying, “Oso-Igbo pele o, Oso igbo roar”, the ancient city was said to have derived her name from the mysterious voice from the lesser spirit made to pacify the goddess of Osun River, thus Oso-Igbo pele o; Oso-igbo rora, was abbreviated to Osogbo. Same goes for the royal title, Ataoja which was derived from the function which the goddess of Osun River advised the first Oba (King) to perform during the last day of the then festival, Atewogbeja, which is abbreviated to Ataoja.
 
The dense forest of the Osun Sacred Grove on the outskirts of the city of Osogbo is one of the last remnants of primary high forest in southern Nigeria. Regarded as the abode of the goddess of fertility, Osun, one of the pantheons of Yoruba gods, the landscape of the grove and its meandering river is dotted with sanctuaries and shrines, sculptures and art works in honour of Osun and other deities. The sacred grove, which is now seen as a symbol of identity for all Yoruba people, is probably the last in Yoruba culture. It testifies to the once widespread practice of establishing sacred groves outside all settlements.

Cc fulaman198, bigfrancis21, Odumchi. Lalasticlala let this reach the promise land

gud

hm

Yoruba and Fetishism

Lovely

I really love tradition and my dear Yoruba culture







Isese l'agba






How i wish to have the experience






Love this more than d fvucking imported religion that is a scam

Aregbe should pls pay Osun workers their salaries.

[size=18pt]This is why Awolowo took rat poison[/size]

Give cesar what belongs to cesar and give God what belong to God.. Its none of my business.

colourful culture

Cool

OSUN state??





OK...

They should give their lives to Jesus.

cool tho but i dont like anything called tradition especially seeing masquerades!!

Women are anywhere they could find a means o show case "Big Madam" attitude... colorful though

.

May God guide us right

allanphash7:
I really love tradition and my dear Yoruba culture







Isese l'agba






How i wish to have the experience






Love this more than d fvucking imported religion that is a scam

don't you dare insult Christianity..

Beautiful men and women bowing down to gods made with hands.

Great.

Whatever... Though shall have no other god except me(Jehovah).... am not a Jehovah Witness ooo