Ekiti: An Unrivaled Home of Cultural Tourism
Ekiti is an unrivaled home of cultural tourism. Another testimony to that was seen on Day 1 of the annual Oke-Igeti Heritage Festival and Pilgrimage, a 9-day spiritual pilgrimage event that draws participants from across the country and beyond. The air was alive with the rhythmic echoes of traditional drums and the deafening boom of ceremonial gunshots, signaling the beginning of a sacred and festive journey. Colorful displays of traditional attires, age-old rituals, and cultural performances transformed the serene landscape of Ijelu-Ekiti and Ire-Ekiti into a vibrant celebration of identity, spirituality, and community. Ijelu and Ire are places scheduled to be visited first during the annual pilgrimage. This according to the Ifa and Orisa faithfuls is symbolic of the leading roles played by Esu Laaroye and Ogun Lakaaye among all the ancestral deities almost all of whom were citizens of Ekiti land during their earthly sojourn. Elders, youth, and visitors alike gathered...