Osun State Governor, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, on Wednesday, declared that the usual large gathering would not be allowed during this year’s edition of the Osun Osogbo festival.
The Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Hon Obawale Adebisi, who disclosed this while speaking on behalf of the governor in Osogbo, the state capital, said this becomes necessary to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
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He said social gatherings and activities would not be allowed and that only priests would be allowed at the Osun sacred shrine to perform traditional rites under strict compliance with safety protocols on COVID-19.
According to him, “The State Government of Osun is by this medium informing the general public that this year’s celebration of Osun-Osogbo Festival will be symbolic, as only the traditionalists that will perform ritual activities will be allowed into the Osun shrine and they must comply with the State Government’s COVID-19 Protocols.”
“To this effect, the State Government of Osun has banned all social activities associated with the celebration of the 2020 Osun-Osogbo Festival and prays that subsequent festivals will be better celebrated at the exit of the current pandemic”.
About the festival
Osun Osogbo Festival is celebrated annually in August at Osogbo town in Osun State.
It is a traditional festival for the cleansing of the city of Osogbo and a cultural reunion of the people with their ancestors and founders of the town.
Osun is a river goddess in Yoruba religion which is typically and traditionally associated with water, purity, fertility, love and sensuality.
Local and diaspora audiences come together for a period of two weeks filled with different activities to reveal the myth behind Osun Osogbo Groove and its healing powers.
Though the festival is being rebranded for wider reach by a new consulting firm, Esquire Global, the traditional rites, which herald the festival, remains the same.
