Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove and Busanyin Shrine
Discover the history of the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove and the Busanyin Shrine
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Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove
Located in Central Nigeria, the Sacred Grove of Osun Osogbo is a forest sanctuary situated along the Osun River. This World Heritage site is home to over forty shrines and sculptures erected in honor of Osun, the goddess of fertility, and other West African deities that are part of the Yoruba pantheon.
See Osun Osogbo from above
Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove lies along the Osun River, with the Busanyin Shrine resting right along its banks.
What are sacred groves?
Sacred groves are patches of forests that are culturally and religiously significant to local communities. These sacred groves are often managed and protected by the community as abodes of deities.
Where can sacred groves be found?
Sacred groves were commonplace in villages within Yorubaland, a cultural region spanning Nigeria, Togo, and Benin in West Africa hundreds of years ago. In the time since, these spiritually significant sites were destroyed or fell into disrepair, leaving Osun Osogbo as one of the last, and most prominent, Sacred Grove.
Wall Carving at Osun Osogbo (2021-11-11) by CyArkCyArk
Osun Osogbo is one of the largest surviving sacred groves
Osun Osogbo, as one of the largest and still surviving Sacred Grove, is used as part of Yoruba religious practices today. Structures, sculptures, and artworks that honor Osun and other Yoruba deities are located at various worship points in the sanctuary.
Archway and Osun attendants at the Sacred grove (2019-09) by CyArkCyArk
Sculptures make Osun Osogbo unique
Osun Osogbo is unique in that 20th century sculpture was incorporated into the sacred grove in part thanks to a major restoration project during the 20th century by artists and worshippers.
Sculptures in Osun Osogbo (2021-11-11) by CyArkCyArk
It's also a National Monument and UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Sacred Grove was declared a National Monument by the Nigerian Government in 1965 after falling into disrepair, with the scope of the declaration expanded in 1992. UNESCO designated it a world heritage site in 2005.
Osun Osogbo Today
Today, the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove serves as the last sacred grove within Nigeria and is a sacred place to traditionalists worldwide. It is an active religious site with worship ceremonies taking place every day at various points in the grove. Every August, the sanctuary hosts the Osun festival, which sees around 100,000 visitors from all over the world who travel to the Grove to worship and engage in traditional spiritual practices.
Sculptor at Osun Osogbo (2017-01-25) by DeveshubaNgCyArk
Past and present come together at Osun Osogbo
The structures and sculptures within the sanctuary showcase artwork from the past and present, as pre-20th century works exist alongside works from the modern New Sacred Artists movement. The Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove is a living and thriving heritage site for Osogbo people, Yoruba people, and African people, serving as a cultural space where traditional religion and indigenous knowledge systems intersect.
Busanyin Shrine
One particular heritage site in this region is the Busanyin Shrine. It is one of eight iconic worship points within the Sacred Grove. It consists of an intricately carved walled enclosure covered with a roof that resembles a bird’s outstretched wings. The shrine is dedicated to the deity Ibu-Osanyin (Busanyin), a male hunter spirit who is the guardian of the knowledge of herbs and traditional medicines.
Busanyin Shrine (2021-11-11) by CyArkCyArk
The large shrine is designed in the form of a giant bird and faces the river with a gradual slope leading to the water's edge. Priests and local traditionalists visit the shrine on a daily basis to engage in ritual practices and worship.
Priestess collects water at Busanyin shrine (2021) by CyArkCyArk
Like many places in Osogbo, the water in front of the shrine is believed to be imbued with spiritual properties and is often ingested or used in ceremonies.
Busanyin Shrine by CyArkCyArk
The shrine is personally very relevant to the current King of Osogbo as his mother visited the shrine before getting pregnant and the waters also cured the king of illness when he was a young child.
Damage from flooding at Busanyin shrien (2021) by CyArkCyArk
Because of climate change, there was a severe flood and heavy rains in 2019 that compromised the shrine’s structural stability, resulting in significant damage to many of the delicate artworks within the shrine. This loss has been devastating to the local community, which cannot use the shrine safely.
