While Osogbo, the capital city of Osun State, may be a sleeping town for those who have not visited, yet the city offers many attractions to culture enthusiasts and tourists who dare to visit.
In the outskirts of the ancient town lies one of the last remnants of primary forest in south-west Nigeria. The forest is so dense, rich in biodiversity, as well as, hosts the Osun Sacred Grove, the second World Heritage Site in Nigeria, after the Sukur Kingdom in Adamawa State.
The sacred grove is regarded as the abode of Osun, the goddess of fertility and one of the pantheons of the Yoruba gods. The landscape of the grove is dotted with a meandering river, sanctuaries and shrines, sculptures and art works in honour of Osun and other deities. The sacred grove, which is now seen as a symbol of identity for all Yoruba people, is probably the last in Yoruba culture. It testifies to the once widespread practice of establishing sacred groves outside all settlements.
Set within the forest sanctuary are forty shrines, sculptures and art works erected in honour of Osun and other Yoruba deities, many created in the past 40 years, two palaces, five sacred places and nine worship points strung along the river bank with designated priests and priestesses.
The new art installed in the grove has also differentiated it from other groves. Osogbo is now unique in having a large component of 20th century sculpture created to reinforce the links between the people and the Yoruba pantheon, and the way in which Yoruba towns linked their establishment and growth to the spirits of the forest.
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The restoration of the grove by artists has given the grove a new importance; it has become a sacred place for the whole of Yorubaland and a symbol of identity for the wider Yoruba Diaspora, especially from Brazil and the Caribbeans.
The grove is an active religious site where daily, weekly and monthly worships take place. In addition, an annual processional festival to re-establish the mystic bonds between the goddess and the people of the town occurs every year over twelve days in July and August and thus sustains the living cultural traditions of the Yoruba people.
The grove is also a natural herbal pharmacy containing over 400 species of plants, some endemic, of which more than 200 species are known for their medicinal uses.
Most importantly, the grove hosts thousands of guests including indigenes, other Nigerians, African diasporas, especially from Brazil, Haiti and the United States of America to the one month long Osun Osogbo festival every August.
However, the town offers many other art and cultural attractions. It is home to many visual artists, especially wood carvers, while quality local textile art and weavings are abundant.
Timeless artifacts and local fabric designs are among souvenirs that remind of your visit to the art and culture hub.
The grove awaits your visit this year.
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