THISDAYonline

Osun Groove, a tourist site in Osogbo is a tourist haven. One of the best reserved cultural heritage in southern Nigeria, Osun Groove has natural beauty, and unspoiled with trees criss-crossed giving a thick canopy for Osun worshippers. Trees and shrubs formed canopies at the groove.

It is quiet and inspiring. This is the best time to appreciate the natural ambiance and sculpted works of arts in the groove.

You will see the mural on the walls that demarcate the sacred groove. Images of human beings in grotesque shapes adorn the walls.

This work of art also makes Osun-Osogbo an artist haven, a town which can be described as a meeting point of the ancient and modern, a tripartite union of religion, culture and arts. It is said that in every house in Osogbo there is a sculptour.

Susan Wenger popularised the Osogbo art. The Austrian lady who gave her life to the Osun goddess since she set her foot on Osogbo soil has the world class artists to show for her passion.

You may be lucky to see the old lady who is still living a quiet life in the ancient town.

These are some of the things visitors looked forward to during the period of the annual Osun-Oshogbo Festival from July 29 to August 9.

But the large crowd at the grove precipitated chaos which denied tourist ample opportunity to enjoy himself during the festival.

Osun worshippers and tourists look like they will return to the site for meditation.

What makes Osun-Osogbo tick as an internationally-acclaimed festival ?

Osun sons and daughters hold the Osun deity in high esteem and even ascribe immerse powers to it. "Osun Oshogbo revolves around Osun goddess, you can appreciate the way the people show their appreciation to the goddess. I will come back next year to learn more," says a foreign tourist who gave her name as Andrea during the event last month.

When asked what Osun-Osogbo festival is, the custodian of the culture and traditional ruler of Osogbo, Oba Iyiola Oyawale Maitanmi III, the Otaoja of Oshogbo replied that the essence of the festival is a commemoration of the source of Osogbo as a settlement. This is the reason the festival comes up annually with pomp and pageantry characterised by eating, drinking, dancing and eulogising the noble strides of the forebears of Osogbo. The ancient city derived its name from what the spirits at Osun Grove said to pacify the goddess of Osun river.

The Otaoja, an educated man in his 50s have realised that Osogbo's sons and daughters will never forget the source of their life.

He said to people who paid him courtesy visits at his palace recently: " You see thousands of people here without inviting anybody. They want to be where their Oba is and to identify with their culture."

Usually, the annual festival is celebrated for 12 days in honour of the Yoruba goddess of fertility, Osun. Osogbo is interested in the culture that dates back to the origin of the town as a settlement.

It is this reason the people throng to Isale Osun, the sacred groove of the Osun godess during Osun Day to honour the river goddess with all kinds of gifts and sacrificial items . They also fetch water from the Osun river after washing their faces with it. Worshippers who go there to invigorate hold the place sacred and activity within the area is forbidden.

The ancient building at the bank of the river said to be the first palace of the founder of Osogbo is also sacred.

The climax is the cultural procession of the Ataoja and his entourage. The votary maid, Arugba leads the procession to the grove. Immediately the Oba is sighted, shouts of 'Kabiyesi' rent the air. Otaoja is often flanked by his wives who are gorgeously dressed acknowledges cheers from the crowd.

Another attraction is the frenzy with which the people express their appreciation to the people who represent their forebear.

With the Otaoja seated during the Grand Finale, traditional chiefs, families and worshippers identified with uniforms danced to pay homage to the oba in turns.

Traditional music such as apala took centre-stage. The Oba acknowledges their cheers and blesses his people, praying for their security and peace during the coming year. He and the priestess held calabash, iko, with their hand and stretched it forward to receive the curative water that would be poured into it.

Water form Osun river is very significant. The first thing the worshippers want to see is omi (water)at the groove. The people go there to scoop water and take medicinal plants which is believed to cure their ailments such as hypertension, belly-ache and headache. They also visit to see the animals like the orangutan and monkeys which live quietly. There is no doubt the groove has a cultural value.

On the importance of the grove, the Director-General for National Museums & Monu-ments Dr. Omotoso Eluyemi linked the site town on the travel map.

The journey to Oshogbo is about two hours drive from Lagos. Accommodation does not pose a problem because there are many budget hotels in town.