The Mystery of the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove in Nigeria

The mysterious Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove is a landmass covering about 75 hectares of land and is dedicated to the Osun goddess of fertility. Located in Osogbo, a city in Osun State in Nigeria, Africa, this forest area is home to various sacred shrines devoted to different deities in Yoruba land. The area is considered sacred with a connection of different spiritual paths that link the major divisions together. The area seems perfectly created for sacred rituals as the Osun river cuts across the area and gives an ambiance of spiritual presence. There used to be similar popular places for rituals in Yoruba land but over time most of them were converted and only a few remain, the most important being the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove. It is for this reason that it was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 2005 and stands out as one out of the two World Heritage sites in Nigeria at present.

The Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove is believed to house about forty shrines spread across the various parts of the forest and representing several different deities. The sacred nature of the grove makes it an attractive place for spiritual practices. As a sacred area, such activities as farming, hunting, and fishing are highly prohibited and only traditional healers are allowed to gather plants that grow there for use in their practices. The grove gets several visits per year from both the Yoruba worshipers who are consistent in their local worship and those who visit the place as a tourist center. Rituals are performed at the different shrines regularly by ardent worshippers of the different deities. There are many varieties of wild animals present in the forest area and they continue to increase in their numbers due to the banning of hunting activities and any form of disturbance from external influence. READ MORE…