Ọbàtálá Shrine Complex: serious damages

The magnificent Ọbàtálá Shrine Complex is dedicated to the Òrìṣà - or deity - of Creation, Ọbàtálá, also known as Òrìṣàńlá or Òrìṣàálá (literally “The Great Òrìṣà”).
It is composed of three separate buildings, the furthest on the right is home to the statue of Ọbàtálá and under the middle one the sacred symbols of Olúfọ́n and Ògìnyán - two branches of Ọbàtálá worship - are buried.
The taller shrine on the left is “Ayé Dákun Yípadà” (‘world forgive and come back’ according to Ulli Beier (The return of the Gods, 1975, page 65) or ‘World I beg you to reconsider your ways’ according to Susanne Wenger (The Sacred Groves of Oshogbo, 1990, page 16) – the shrine of Òrìṣà Ajagẹmọ.


As with most of the Shrines and works of art in the Sacred Groves, the Ọbàtálá Shrine Complex was created using cement, reinforced by iron rods and netting. To save money at the time, earth was often used as a core building block then covered with cement. Over time, the earthen core would weaken and gradually the structures disintegrated.
From 2007-2009 the New Sacred Art Movement completely restored the Ọbàtálá Shrine Complex, using only cement with metal reinforcement. The lead artist was Adebisi Akanji who also was a key artist when the shrines were first created in the 1960s and 1970s ably supported by his son Nurudeen Akanji.