Participants at the Osun Osogbo Festival
By Gbenga Olarinoye
OSOGBO – Last week was particularly busy for
tourists and people who cherish tradition and
culture of the people of Osogbo in particular as
different people from all walks of life were there
for the annual world acclaimed Osun Osogbo
festival.
The festival which attracted very large crowd, as
the Osun Osogbo which has become one of the
UNESCO heritage sites climaxed on Friday 21st
August, for the grand finale of the week long
activities.
The grand finale of this year Osun Osogbo was
celebrated with funfare despite the economic
situation in the country and in the state
particularly. It was also a marked departure from
last year’s which was celebrated amidst outbreak
of Ebola virus in the country. To prevent the
spread of the virus, the government restricted the
movement at the Osun groves to only the
worshippers.
Prior to that event, friends and families of Late
Susan Wenger celebrated her posthumous 100
years birthday as various peoples in attendance
showered praises and encomium on her.
Praises andencomium
The white Priestess of Osun River, Late Susanne
Wenger, popularly called Adunni Olorisa, was
described as a woman of culture and traditional
values because of her outstanding contribution
towards the development and promotion of Osun-
Osogbo’s Sacred Grove before its enlistment as a
World Heritage Site.
The Director General, National Commission for
Museums and Monuments, Yusuf Abdallah
Usman, affirmed this during the 100 years
Posthumous birthday of late Wenger and 10th
year enlistment of Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove as
a United Nation Economic, Scientific and Cultural
Organisation, UNESCO World Heritage site.
Represented by the UNESCO Director, Mr Funso
Oluremi, Usman described late Wenger as a
woman of different interpretations, saying; ‘’She
was a great artist, culturalist, spiritualist and
philanthropist, who devoted her life to serving
nature, culture and people.’’ Recalling that the
Australia born late Wenger died in 2009 at the
age of 93, Usman said her works in Osun-Osogbo
Grove was the beginning of the monumental
growth and the success achieved in the grove.
He stressed that the largeness of Wenger’s
personality and contributions to humanity will
continue to unfold over the years and to up-
coming generations, promising that the NCMM
will continue to protect and conserve her artistic
works. In his remarks, Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba
Jimoh Oyetunji Olanipekun, Larooye 11, said late
Wenger would for ever be remembered by Nigeria,
especially Osogbo, for her contribution to the
development of custom and tradition.
The royal father, who expressed dissatisfaction
about the way Yoruba culture is going into
extinction, urged the people of Osogbo to support
Osun festival and ensure that the grove becomes
a world heritage site like Medina in Saudi
Arabia. Present at the posthumous remembrance
are the children of late Adunni Olorisa, Sangodare
Ajala and Mrs Doyin Faniyi. Others are,
representatives of Australia, Robin and Hugh
Campbell, Chief Muraina Oyelami, among others.
Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who was represented
by the Secretary to the State Government,
Moshood Adeoti, said the state would do
everything to generate fund from the festival. The
Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun,
expressed gratitude to sponsors of the festival,
saying the it is now recognised all over the world.
The down side: The festival’s down side was that
the usual rain that normally accompany the Osun
Osogbo Festival in Osun State refused to fall this
year giving room to speculations that something
may be amiss spiritually. It has been the tradition
that the rain, christened the king, must be
quenched by rain from the palace to the grove.
However, instead of rain, it was sun this year.
This development has been viewed differently.
Although, it had not rained much in the town in
recent times, the sun that accompanied this
year’s Osun Festival was surprising because it
lasted till almost 7 pm.





www.vanguardngr.com/2015/09/osun-osogbo-festival-marking-10-years-of-world-acceptance/

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