OSOGBO, NIGERIA – Princess Alimot Moredeke Ajoke Osunbunmi, aged 10 years, took the Osun calabash for the first time on Friday during the peak of the yearly Osun-Osogbo festival.
Selected from the royal family to be the Arugba, Princess Alimot was the votary representing the connection between the people and Osun, the river goddess in Yoruba mythology believed to possess powers related to fertility and healing. The sacred calabash placed on her head contained offerings to the goddess on behalf of the devotees.
In the footage, we see many people assembling at the entrance of the Ataoja Palace before joining the procession to the Osun Sacred Grove, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is the centre of Yoruba religion and spirituality. On the riverside, devotees chanted prayers, performed rites, and gave thanks for favours received.
Commenting on the festival’s spiritual aspect, Egbebunmi Ifawuyi Oguntimileyin, a follower of Osun, said, “Osun is a kind deity who listens to and answers the prayers of her followers.” Osungbemi Osagbemi, another follower, pointed out, “She is a healing deity… The orders of Osun should be strictly obeyed.”
Speaking about the universal appeal of the sacred place, Morenikeji Sangotade, a tourist, said, “We feel that anything that we pray for here comes true.” The final day of the festival, held on 7 August, saw a massive gathering of pilgrims from around the world.
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