Photos have emerged from the ongoing activities to celebrate the grand finale of the Osun-Osogbo festival with devotees of Osun goddess, tourists, cultural enthusiasts and indigenes seen at the shrine of the god.

Photos have emerged from the ongoing
activities to celebrate the grand finale of the
Osun-Osogbo festival with devotees of Osun
goddess, tourists, cultural enthusiasts and
indigenes seen at the shrine of the god.
The highlight of the grand finale will see a votary
maid (Arugba Osun), going to the river with a
calabash filled with antiquities to worship the
goddess of the river.
Osogbo town and the Palace of Ataoja of Osogbo
had been bustling with activities in preparation for
the grand finale of the Osun-Osogbo festivity with
the state government had declared Aug. 20 as public
holidays for the traditional festivity of the Isese
celebration.
The Ayo Olopon contest (Native ayo contest) came
up on Thursday.
Meanwhile, foreigners who participated in the 2015
edition of Osun-Osogbo Festival have applauded its
uniqueness and cultural values.
According to a NAN report, a Japanese, Mrs Aleleo
Yoshine, said that Osun-Osogbo festival was
traditional in nature and also educate people on the
rich culture and tradition of the state.
Yoshine said that most of the festival she had been
attending all over the world look artificial but Osun-
Osogbo festival looked real and natural.

She said the festival looked real and natural because
visitors, tourists and indigenes did respect the
norms and values of the River goddess.
"As you can see people going into the river with a
calabash filled with antiquities to worship the
goddess of the river.I can also see people washing
their heads in the river, filling their bottle with water
from the Osun River. It shows the respect and belief
people have for the goddess of the river and also
how they valued their culture,'' Yoshine said.
Another tourist, Mrs Iris Hernandez,an American,
lauded the festival, saying that it was different from
the festival she had been attending in United State.
According to her, the festival is colorful, full of
antiquities and it is so traditional compared to other
countries of the world that are artificial.
"I enjoyed my coming to Nigeria; I will like to come
again because of the cultural knowledge gained. The
festival brings about cultural integration between
one country and the others. I met people from
different part of the world here at the festival that
interests me,'' Hernandez said.
Below are photos from the venue of the annual
festival:
A woman chief priest (m) offers pryers to
worshipers at Osun shrine in the palace. Photo:
Emmanuel Osodi
Pic 1 Daughters of Osun waiting to pray to their god
at the Osun shrine at the palace. Photo: Emmanuel
Osodi
Osun worshipers offers prayers to their god. Photo:
Emmanuel Osodi
A woman and her children sell prepare beeds for
sell in front of the palace: Photo: Emmanuel Osodi
Osun worshippers buys beeds in prepareration of
the festival. Photo: Emmanuel Osodi
Worshippers at the shrine. Photo: Emmanuel Osodi
An Osun worshipper during her prayers to the gods.
Photo: Emmanuel Osodi
Osun worshippers pose for photograph ofter
offering their their prayers at the palace. Photo:
Emmanuel Osodi
People waiting to pray. Photo: Emmanuel Osodi
Osun worshippers at the shrine in the palace. Photo:
Emmanuel Osodi
The lady that will carry the pot on her head is being
escuted by women prists to the palace. ARUGBA
GIRL: Photo: Emmanuel Osodi