Wonders and mysteries
of Oke Idanre
By SEGUN FATUASE
Saturday, August 14, 2004
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The
wonderful rock
•Photo
By Sun News Publishing |
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Atop the smokey hills surrounding Idanre, a historical town,
ten minutes fast drive from Akure, the Ondo State capital,
reposes a unique tourist haven which attracts mystery lovers,
spiritualists and lovers of adventure from all parts of the
world.
This is so because Oke Idanre (Idanre Hills), a cluster of
intimidating and imposing hills houses some wonderful things
which confound the senses. Oke Idanre surrounds the town,
envelopes it and dominates life in the town. From any angle,
one sees the hills and virtually every activity revolves round
this collection of hills. In fact, it can safely be said that
Idanre is not only under (Abeokuta) but on top of the hills
(Ori Okuta).
Apart from that cultural role, Oke Idanre pulls the wealthy
and the commoner, basically due to its perceived mystical
aura and the giddy excitement lovers of nature get when they
surmount the steep, daunting climb to the top, to witness
a spectacular view of the new town and adjoining hills in
a breath-taking manner.
Saturday Sun was on a visit to Oke-Idanre, a few days back
and gives a vivid account of the many wonders that keep on
attracting sight-seers year in, year out.
The mystery and the thrills
Seun, the guide, a proud indigene, was quick to explain that
the spirit of Iyemero, the mother spirit in the rock, protects
every tourist, worshipper and passer-by who ventures to climb
the hills to see the pride of Idanre. “We have a lot
of pride in our Arun River, a place where people come to pray
for blessings from God. The Agboogun Foot Print corner is
another tourist attraction where the gods expose many people
with evil intentions. So apart from the beauty of Idanre Hills,
people come here for spiritual cleansing”, he said.
Nevertheless, there is always an eerie feeling over the perceived
presence of some unseen but potent powers. There are even
some areas tourists are not allowed to venture. Also the reported
presence of some wild animals makes it necessary to move around
in groups.
The great steps and Graffiti
It takes 640 steps to climb from the foot of the hills to
the peak. In between, there are five rest places for those
who hate the strenuous exercise. This is one of the great
attractions and visitors are eager to make their presence
felt through unique graffiti. For example, one Adeniran Akindele
from State House, Abuja proudly wrote his name on the shed
of the fourth rest place.
Mighty Guru was there. Dotun and Mak-say from Abeokuta came
visiting while Osuola, Ife and Kike left indelible markings.
Kolo and Bimbo Soile marked Valentine’s day in a secluded
part of the old Town, right on top of the hill.
The European quarters
Expectedly, the exotic sides of Oke Idanre attracted some
Europeans who reportedly erected three bungalows as well as
a tower on top of the hill. However, this “hilly colonialism”
did not last. According to the guide, the foreign visitors
had to abandon their sojourn on the hill due to some mysterious
happenings and the theft of some of their equipment, including
generators.
The old town
Saturday Sun saw a deserted old town on top of the hill.There
were abandoned buildings including the palace and courtyard
of the Oba, the shrine of the High Chiefs and residential
quarters of many inhabitants. Reports have it that the old
town only comes alive once a year during the Orosun Festival.
That is when all Idanre citizens and well-wishers throng the
hill to appease the gods of the land. .
Pa Josiah Ajayi, in recounting the history of Idanre, said
that the town started from the hill tops with the inhabitants
taking shelter at the nearby Oke Ilarun (Ilarun Hill) in times
of invasion by marauders. “We used to run up the hills
in times of war in those days. Oke Ilarun, over there, has
some mystical powers. It will open up and swallow our enemies.
They then turn to spirits(Ebora). If you listen carefully,
you will hear the sound of those spirits crying as they pound
yam inside the rock. They are prisoners for life”, he
said.
Arun river
The mystery does not end there. There is the Arun River in
a serene corner of the hill. The water is so clear, clean
and drinkable. One can even see the stones and plants inside
it.
People come to pray and fetch the water for spiritual cleansing.
Those who venture mid-stream claim that they experience dizziness
and the presence of a supernatural being, an eerie feeling
which makes the head swell. The experience is definitely not
for the lily-livered.
The ancient palace
The coronation rites of a new Oba cannot be complete without
a visit to Oke Idanre. Palm fronds and dried tortoise head
mark the path the Oba-elect has to take, a path forbidden
to the uninitiated. The ancient palace also has an intimidating
courtyard where the Oba used to hold court. There is also
a section where the heads of slaughtered cows are arranged
in a fashion. The indigenes claim that each cow head signifies
one year in the life of an Oba and the tenure of the traditional
ruler is determined by the number of cow heads.
The Aghagha hill
The significance of this hill which can be seen clearly from
Oke Idanre is that it emits smoke throughout the year. The
Arun river is said to derive its source from the hot confines
of the hill.
The spiritual import of this is not lost on those who come
from far and near for spiritual help and many of them have
reportedly journeyed far up the hill to pray and fetch water
from its source. Seun, the guide, claimed that he was once
attacked by a wild beast, a buffalo, while taking a prominent
member of a white garment church up Aghagha hill. Undeterred,
the church member was said to have warded off the attack and
insisted on staying a night on the hill due to his belief
that he would receive some powers to overcome his adversaries.
Wonderful rock
This rock, known as Okuta Iyanu, is perched precariously on
top of another rock behind some huts once inhabited by some
indigenes of the town. History has it that the rock has been
so placed for hundreds of years without any mishap, perhaps
as an attestation to the wonders of the almighty.
The Agboogun foot print
This rather spooky spectacle is for those with a fearless,
inquisitive mind. The Agboogun Foot Print fits any size of
foot. The mystery is that those with small feet, flat feet
or any other size for that matter get a snug fitting once
they measure their feet with the Agboogun Foot Print. It is
also believed that those whose feet do not fit the Agboogun
Foot Print are those with evil intentions, particularly witches
and wizards. According to Pa Ajayi, “only a few persons
have been so identified in this manner. Thousands of feet
have been measured and deemed fit in this way. The Agboogun
Foot print has defied any human understanding. It is the work
of the gods. Witches and wizards keep their distance from
here”.
Extras
The wonders of Oke-Idanre seem endless. Apart from those mentioned
earlier, there are some which could not be captured through
photographs. These include the Unreadable letters of the flood
(inscriptions on the rock face which could not have been made
by human hands). There is also the imprint of a mat, engraved
on another rock face. A semblance of the Ark of Noah is also
one of the attractions in Oke-Idanre. These continue to manifest
as far as the eyes could see.
After a two hour sojourn atop Idanre hill, Saturday Sun left
the mysterious wonders and descended the 640 steps to the
embrace of civilization of the new town. Seun, the guide,
sums everything up thus, “you go up Oke Idanre with
a curious mind but you come down, marveling at the greatness
and power of the Almighty God!”
Nothing could be more apt.
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