Egbe On­isin Ele­du­mare will stage the an­nu­al Or­isha Olokun Fes­ti­val in Man­zanil­la to­mor­row. The Olokun Fes­ti­val is the Or­isha Fes­ti­val of the Ocean, in which man's in­dis­pens­able link and con­nec­tiv­i­ty to the force of the ocean is cel­e­brat­ed. Olokun is the de­ity of the deep ocean, marsh­es and wet­lands, and is pro­tec­tor of the African di­as­po­ra.

As an is­land peo­ple, Olokun is es­pe­cial­ly im­por­tant to us. Div­ina­tion has cho­sen The Bell Piece in Man­zanil­la as the site of this year's fes­ti­val. As usu­al it will be host­ed by Egbe On­isin Ele­du­mare. Egbe On­isin Ele­du­mare is an African spir­i­tu­al or­gan­i­sa­tion func­tion­al in Ile-Iere–the Re­pub­lic T&T–since 1971. The or­gan­i­sa­tion has con­sis­tent­ly been one of the most pro­gres­sive voic­es for Or­isha and African tra­di­tions in T&T.

Over the years, it has pi­o­neered in the cam­paign­ing for the pas­sage of the Or­isha Mar­riage Act; and in hold­ing two ma­jor Or­isha and African Tra­di­tions Con­fer­ences in T&T. The or­gan­i­sa­tion again broke ground when it field­ed the first Or­isha Car­ni­val band and placed the first Or­isha Queen of Car­ni­val con­tes­tant on the Sa­van­nah stage. This year's Olokun Fes­ti­val is open to the pub­lic. There will be re­turn-trip maxi-taxi trans­port and re­fresh­ments pro­vid­ed. The cost will be $100.

The cel­e­bra­tion will be­gin with prayers at Egbe On­isin Ele­du­mare, Sime­on Road, at 5 am and there will be a main pick up point at the west­ern en­trance of PTSC in Port-of-Spain, close to the light­house, be­tween 6.30 and 7.15 am.�

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The colour code is white, but per­sons can wear colours rep­re­sent­ing their shrines or Or­isha. Items of of­fer­ing in­clude: boiled corn; yam balls; boiled black eyes peas with corn; pop­corn; and, dry co­conut.

For book­ings and fur­ther in­for­ma­tion, call:

Olu­dari San­gode 727-3712;

Oloye Orawale Oranfe 380-9382; or

Rubadiri 797-0949.

Al­so, one can vis­it:

http://yorubasa­cred­science­cen­tre.word­press.com