sogbo, the Osun State capital, has, since, August 9, been abuzz as its biggest export, the yearly Osun Osogbo festival begun with an ambitious touch.
In the next two weeks, the Osun sacred grove will see a milieu carnival-like activity. Colours, crowd and verve will heighten the enthusiasm of spectators. And the click of camera shots, chants, energising drumbeats of surging crowd, led by the Ataoja and a virgin maiden Arugba from the royal clan trekking through sacred paths that terminated in the Osun Grove, which is now World Heritage Site (WHS) the centre-piece of attraction and celebration, where the Ataoja will sit on a stone stool to perform the animal rituals to appease the ancestors will be recreated. The cultural fiesta is organised by the state government, with the support of National Commission for Museum and Monument (NCMM) and many private sector bodies.
The list of sponsors for this year’s event include: MTN Nigeria, Nigeria Breweries (Goldsberg) Seamans Royal, and Kasepreko (Alomo Bitters).
Participants from eleven countries have already indicated their readiness to be in Osogbo to take part in the two-week long cultural fiesta.