The origin and story of Osun festival started over 700 years ago when a group of settlers led by one great hunter Olutimehin, settled at the bank of the river to escape the famine in their former dwelling place. Osun, the water goddess was said to have appeared to Olutimehin and requested him and his group to move up some bit to higher ground – the present Osogbo town.
Osun revealed herself to be the goddess of the grove and of the river and pledged to protect the group and make their women fruitful if only they would offer the annual sacrifice to her in return. The group agreed and vowed to sacrifice annually to the goddess if she would honour her vows. Today, the annual sacrifice has gone past just offering sacrifices to a river goddess, it has become an international celebration of cultural events attracting people from all over the world.
The Osun festival started as an annual sacrifice to a river goddess, it later became a celebration of a river goddess, but today an international celebration of cultural events with attendees from all over the world. The Osun Osogbo festival is no longer a cultural event of the Osogbo or Yoruba people, it has become a global event with tourist or believers in the Osun goddess travel from all over the world to attend the annual cultural event in Osogbo, Osun State.
The Osun Osogbo festival usually lasts for two weeks, and it is celebrated every year in the month of August. The festival commences with Iwopopo, the traditional cleansing of the town from evil, and three days after this the Ina Olujumerindinlogun (16-point lamp), a 600-year-old is lighted.
Nigerian photographer Ife Martins brings to you a few photos that captures the essence and culture of the Osun- Oshogbo Festival 2015
Acknowledgment; Nigerian Bulletin, OkayAfrica.com
