Some Not So Usual Site at the Ofala Festival
Is this guy cutting his hand????
Is this guy cutting his hand????
The Ofala Festival is a three day annual festival that takes place every October in the city of Onitsha, Anambra State, Nigeria. The significance of the festival is that the people of Anambra come together to celebrate the Obi (king/Igwe) and thank God for preserving life. The festival is marked with singing, dancing and other…
On the day of the festival, the Obi makes three appearances after being in seclusion for four days. After the early morning rituals, the trumpeters announce his entry before he shows up, fully dressed in his royal regalia, highlighted with the royal crown (okpu ododo), acknowledging the crowd that would have gathered by waving at…
The Ofala festival is a means by which the Onitsha people of Anambra State in Nigeria.strive to keep their cultural heritage alive. It is an avenue through which the king socializes with both his subjects and other well-wishers. The festival gives room for deep reflections, stock-taking, and setting goals for the future. In other words,…
In 2011 the Ofala Festival attracted members of the Jackson including Tito, Marlon and Fred, the Mayor of Inkster, Michigan, Mayor Hill Hampton, historian Bruce Bridge and Hollywood actor, Walter Jr.
The Onitsha Ofala festival has been going on for about 700 years now, since time of Eze Chima, the first monarch, who migrated to Onitsha. In the early days, the King of Onitsha (Obi of Onitsha) was always confined to his palace. The responsibility of administering the community was assigned to the elders, known as…
HRM Igwe Alfred Achebe