The palace of Ataoja of Osogbo, Osun State, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji, on Thursday, witnessed a large number of visitors and tourists, ahead of the grand finale of Osun-Osogbo festival.

The grand finale of the festival, which started on July 29, will hold on Friday.

The annual festival is expected to be attended by devotees within and outside the country.

Custodians of Osun Osogbo grove and devotees were sighted moving in and out of the palace, preparatory to the grand finale.

The roads leading to the grove wore traditional decorations made by the devotees, while security agents were stationed at strategic locations to maintain law and order.

Oba Oyetunji had earlier assured visitors of their safety before, during and after the festival.

Also, the Group Head and Media Manager for the festival, Oyindamola Olukanmi, said that arrangements had been concluded for the safety of lives and property.

Mr Olukanmi said that an extensive deployment of security agents had been put in place to ensure a memorable and seamless experience for everyone attending the festival’s grand finale.

The Osun-Osogbo festival, whose history dates back to many centuries, is usually celebrated in a grove on the outskirt of Osogbo, the Osun capital.

It is among the last of the sacred forests adjoining the edges of most Yoruba cities before urbanisation.

In recognition of its global significance and cultural value, the Sacred Grove was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.

For indigenes of Osogbo, the festival symbolises traditional cleansing of the town and cultural re-union of the people with their ancestors and founders of Osogbo kingdom.

(NAN)