Ọ̀ṣun Búsanyìn: Striking River View

The striking river view of the Busanyin Grove, which is one of the associated sites of the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove. It is located outside of the UNESCO boundary of the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove but is another critical monument created by Susanne Wenger and the New Sacred Artists. Rabiu Abesu and Adebisi Akanji, among others, worked on the monument, which is one of the major shrines in Osogbo. Flooding has lately caused extensive damage to the Grove, due to rising water levels after two successive years of heavy rainfall. Busanyin is a Grove that is strongly associated with Osanyin, the Yoruba Deity of Medicine - and it is one of the most important riverine worshipping points (Ibu) in Osogbo. This is a particularly serene Shrine and beauty spot, striking in its tranquility and aesthetics as one walks the narrow path towards the Grove. Wenger had been approached to help rebuild the Shrine when the original structure started to collapse due to the activities of white ants.
As noted by Ulli Beier: “In a bold vision she conceived the whole shrine as a bird. The thatched roof sweeps up steeply in front of the shrine into a point that suggests the bird’s head. Three magnificent pillars carved in wood by Buraimoh Gbadamosi support this structure. The birds represents the potential power of the Orisa to rise again, to rise again from his mythical sleep of transformation.” (The Return of the Gods, 1975.)
The AOT is looking for support to restore the Busanyin Grove.