- Nine-year-old Alimot Osunbunmi has been chosen as the new Arugba for the Osun-Osogbo Festival after a traditional Ifa divination
- She leads the sacred procession to the Osun grove, carrying a calabash filled with ritual offerings for the goddess
- The role, reserved for a royal virgin, is central to the centuries-old Yoruba tradition
A new chapter has opened in the revered Osun-Osogbo Festival as nine-year-old Alimot Osunbunmi takes on the sacred role of Arugba, succeeding Osuntomi, who held the position for 11 years.
Her selection was made in March after a traditional divination process conducted by Osun devotees to mark the beginning of her service as the calabash-bearing votary virgin.
Source: Facebook
Osunbunmi, who hails from a royal lineage, is now leading the sacred procession for the 2025 festival.
With a calabash balanced on her head, she carries ritual offerings to the Osun River within the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Arugba’s roles in Osun-Osogbo festival
The calabash is central to the festival’s spiritual symbolism, believed to have been handed to the forefathers of Osogbo by the goddess Osun herself.
Tradition dictates that only a royal virgin, chosen by the Ifa oracle, can bear it.
During the festival, the Arugba is more than a ceremonial figure. She is seen as a living embodiment of the goddess, attracting prayers from worshippers who believe she has the power to absorb and bear away their burdens.
As she moves through the crowd toward the grove, participants throw their problems upon her in a symbolic act of spiritual cleansing.
The journey is closely guarded by officials known as Olose, or Whip Boys, who ensure she remains unhindered. A misstep, such as treading on a stone or stump, is viewed as a bad omen.
The Arugba’s smooth passage from the palace to the grove is considered vital to the success of the festival’s rituals.
About the revered Osun-Osogbo festival
The Osun-Osogbo Festival is celebrated annually in August and is a centuries-old event that draws thousands of devotees, tourists, and cultural enthusiasts from around the world.
Source: Facebook
It is Yorubaland’s most ancient and arguably foremost cultural festival with the warmest international embrace.
The popular festival began about 600 years ago and was started by the founders of the community. Legends have it that the founders of Osogbo were one day cutting down trees in order to create an area of settlement when a spirit told them to steer clear.
The place where they were chased away from soon turned into a place of worship. The yearly event of the Osun Osgobo festival happens around August.
Osun Osogbo: History behind the festival
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Osun Osogbo which started hundreds of years ago always attracts tourists from all over the world.
During the festival that holds around August, worshippers come into the river to make prayers to the goddess.
A significant part of the festival is the Arugba procession as a girl chosen for that task must reflect purity.
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Source: Legit.ng
