Yoruba Orisa Shrines in Nigeria are as old as the Yoruba ethnic group itself.  The oldest such shrine is the Obalata Shrine in Ile Ase on whose holy ground it is said Obatala descended to create mankind in anticipation of Oludumare’s animating breath.  In spite of both the spiritual and historic significance of the shrines, most are in horrible states of disrepair and are often targeted by religious zealots who would like nothing better than to demolish them in a misguided attempt to destroy “false idols”

The Orisa Community Development Corporation, in partnership with Ifa Yoruba Contemporary Arts Foundation (IYCAF) http://iycaf.org has launched The Yoruba Shrine Renovation Initiative to protect, renovate, and preserve these icons of Yoruba cultural and spiritual heritage.

The initiative’s object is to collaborate with local artisans and shrine custodians to develop a vision for the shrines that would include renovating them and having them designated by the Nigerian government as historic landmarks, which would make it illegal for opponents of Yoruba tradition to deface them.

It is projected that it will take anywhere from $7,000 – $30,000 to renovate the shrines.  Due to its particular historical significance, the Obatala Shrine in Ile Ife will be the first shrine renovated under this project.

Crucial to the success of this initiative will be the inclusion of community stakeholders of the shrine.  Equally important is maintaining Yoruba cultural aesthetics during the renovation process.  Program coordinators representing both the Orisa CDC and IYCAF will be in Ile Ife as of March 2011 and at that time will initiate the following actions:

  • Make a site visit to the Obatala Shrine both informally and formally
  • Work to develop relations with the Obatala Shrine community
  • Once permission has been granted and duly established it would be critical to begin documenting the present condition of the Shrine via digital imagery.
  • Develop a Rapid Ethnography Survey that will uncover both historical and contemporary concerns for the restoration/renovations of the Obatala Shrine. This process is done to solicit community thoughts and concerns. The information derived from this process then serves as a template for future work with the Shrine.
  • Provided there is enough time during the initial visit to Nigeria, conduct and analyze the survey.
  • Plans are already set for visiting and building relations with an Orisa Painting School located in Ile Ife. It would be nice to understand their goals and objectives and to build capacity for both the school and the project.  It is highly likely that students from this school could serve a vital role with the project
  • Pay a site visit to the Osun Shrine in Oshogbo as this obviously serves as a model many of the do’s and don’ts this project will encounter

Critical to the success of this initiative is financial support from members of the Orisa Community and so we ask that you support this initiative by making a donation by using the link below.

Adupe.