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Posted by HopperJ.
on 15 August, 2023 under Entertainment
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The current Arugba, Osuntomi Oyetunji is the young daughter of the sitting Ataoja of Osogbo.
She took over from Abolade Oyewale, who carried the sacrifice calabash to the river goddess and was herself considered a goddess for 10 years.
Every August, Osogbo town plays host to one of the most interesting festivals in the world, the Osun Osogbo Festival. Since the town became host of the country’s second World Heritage site, the gravitation pull of adventurous tourists has become hard to resist. Its a festival that allows tourists to discover the plains, the streams and forest of Osogbo, the land of Oroki, famed for its indigo dye, ‘aro’.
The one month long festival is believed to be a covenant between the indigenes and the water goddess, during which time, the indigenes thank the water goddess for the peace, tranquillity and prosperity bestowed on the town by the goddess and also to ask for more favours from the goddess for the next year.
The Arugba is led by the most senior Osun priestess and Aworo Osun from the premises of the palace of the reigning Ataoja of Osogbo, enveloped on both sides by a formidable human fence, who must ensure that she gets to her destination without incident and, more importantly, with the calabash intact. As the tradition goes, the virgin so chosen ‘’is the personification of the goddess Osun and must not stumble’.
Arugba is carefully chosen by the priests. Sources say that as soon as these votary maids are picked, they live under the watchful eyes of the Ataoja during the periods that they serve as Arugba. Once an Arugba is picked, she more or less, becomes kabiyesi’s (king) daughter. She lives under the care and watchful eyes of the kabiyesi. This is because she must not know any man while she still bears the Osun calabash; so they don’t enjoy some freedom that their mates enjoy.â€
