Ilédì Oǹtótóo: Ọbàtálá rising

Built in the late 1960’s and early 1970s on the site of an abandoned school, Ilédì Oǹtótóo is the assembly point for the Ògbóni, Yorùbá traditionalists associated with the Earth deity. This remarkable structure is composed of three enormous roofs which rise against the sky like giant lizards, representing the forces of the earth before mankind.

Underneath the roof at of the right wing, Ọbàtálá, the god of creation and light, rises from the white elephant’s forehead, symbolizing that divine transcendence originates from Mother Earth. The entry to the shrine is underneath the middle roof and the doorway is in the shape of a giant paw print, referencing the connection of the Ògbóni society to the earth.