The Ilara-Mokin Yam Festival of 2024 was a sight to behold, with sons and daughters of Ilara-Mokin in Ondo State gathering at the palace of the Alara of Ilara-Mokin, His Royal Majesty, Oba Abiodun Aderemi Adefehinti FCA JP.
The Ilara-Mokin Yam Festival was a highly anticipated event that took place on the 10th of September, 2024.
The sound of the drum filled the air, signaling the start of the festival and bringing a sense of excitement and joy to all those in attendance.
The Ijesu Festival, also known as Oberemoye or Odun Opa, is the most famous and crowd-pulling festival in Ilara-Mokin. It marks the coming out of new yams and is a time of celebration and feasting for all the indigenes and residents of the kingdom.
The festival brought together the sons and daughters of Ilara-Mokin to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of their community.
As the sound of the drum filled the air, the atmosphere transformed, and the excitement on the faces of attendees was visible. The joy that emanated from the festival was infectious, spreading throughout the community and creating a sense of unity and camaraderie among all those in attendance.
The festival usually takes place between August and September each year, with the highlight being the moment when the king first eats the new yam and gives permission for all to partake in the feast.
The festival kicks off early in the morning with the beating of the “Agbaa” drum and the cooking of pots of yams by the women. At dawn, a bowl of hot-pounded yam is set before the people, along with Egusi soup, known as “obe ede” in Ilara parlance.
The Oberemoye ceremony is the major part of the festival, with the king leaving his palace with his entourage for Oko-idasu at 1:00 p.m.amidst singing and dancing.
Able men engage in a traditional flogging ritual, while the Alara dances to the Itamoriwo shrine to uproot new yams. He then dances around the town with his traditional drums, blessing the people and receiving gifts and homage in return.
The Agogo festival follows with performances by the Aworo group and Oloyere. The Ijana Olofin ceremony sees the youth and aged men and women dancing with burning bunches of dried palm fronds to Apoporo music in the market square.
People sing and expose those with bad characters in the kingdom, cursing them and cleansing the community of negativity.
The festival culminates with the Iyerekeke or Idedere ceremony, marking the end of the Ijesu Festival.
The morning after the festival is a market day, with the people of Ilara-Mokin earning the cognomen of “OMO A KO ORO MEFA SE LORIJO” for celebrating six categories of festivals in a day.
The festival is a time of joy, unity, and celebration for the people of Ilara-Mokin, with the 2024 festival being a particularly fun and stress-free event.
The city of Ilara-Mokin offers a luxurious and intimate ambiance for visitors, with a vibrant atmosphere that celebrates life to the fullest. The city is clean and neat, with a minimalist design and a welcoming hospitality that is genuine and warm. The attractions in the town, such as the Smokin Hill Golf Course, King’s Palace, Oke-Adura Hill Top, Market Square Waterfall, Obaloro Beautiful Bridge, St. Michael Church Scrapper, and the Longest Mosque in Ondo State, offer a glimpse into the rich culture and history of Ilara-Mokin.
Overall, the Ilara-Mokin Yam Festival of 2024 was a time of celebration, unity, and joy for the people of Ilara-Mokin. The festival showcased the vibrant culture and traditions of the community, bringing together people from all walks of life to celebrate the harvest and enjoy the festivities. As the festival came to a close, the air was filled with a sense of gaiety and festivity, with the King and his subjects sharing in the excitement and camaraderie of the event.
Some of the festivals celebrated in Ilara-Mokin are:
OGUN FESTIVAL – Is an annual celebration to worship “Ogun” the god of iron, the hunters, butchers, drivers, smiths, farmers and anybody dealing with iron celebrate this festival. It reaches the peak when Ogun Priest sacrifice at Ogun shrine called Ibegun.
AHEREGBE FESTIVAL (OYINLE) – It is also called Odun Elerege.
“Elereges” are the group of virgin girls/maidens in the kingdom; they are initiated into this group and remain virgin till they are married. They are initiated at a tender age to avoid promiscuity; these young virgins come out from all the quarters of the town and assemble at the house of their leader (An older woman formerly Elerege). She then take them to the house of Chief Elegiri, at Chief Elegiri house the able men related to those girls carry them on their shoulders to a stream within the town called “Omiote”. They adorned themselves with beads coiled round their necks and waists, beautiful children’s combs are set round their well curled hair with horse tails in their hands waving to the well-wishers they also threw fried “akara” balls on people or onlookers who want to view them.
From “Omiote” they will be carried to “Ereja” – market square. Later they visit and pay homage to Oba Alara, High Chief Lisa, the Alaworo, the Eyeule, Chief Ologunsinkin on separate days. During this festival, it is abomination to dig pit, uprooting yams or entering into tent in the farm.
AJALEMOGUN FESTIVAL – This is not an anally festival like other festivals, rather it celebrates the goddess of the festival every ten-year interval. Ajalemogun is a mighty female deity in Ilara-Mokin, Thin goddess is decorates with fresh palm leaves (raffia) and carries along people by means of spiritual power from Igbo Irunmalle in Oke ode to the market square, High Chief Aaro is the Chief Priest, the goddess is as big and tall as telecommunication mast. The hair is plaited and the hunter shoot toward the head with the believe that some evil power such as witches and wizards who are enemies of Chief Aaro, Chief Akogbona and the town may want to push her down by resting on the head. If it happens, the Chiefs must be killed and buried the spot. It is therefore necessary to shoot at the head area. The deity is goddess of fertility and fruitfulness; it is also believed to be a savior in the time of trouble, war or lack.
IYENA FESTIVAL – This is a low-key festival of clearing our farm paths in preparation for “IJESU” when it is a week ahead. Every male farmer does the clearing of farm paths, after the work, the people will gather at a particular location or junction where they offer prayers. Then they will make foods available for the workers to refresh themselves, usually they feast on akara balls and ori (Agidi or Eko Elewe) they share it among themselves from the eldest to the youngest. It is done most especially in olden days because of the visitors that would wish to come and celebrate ljesu festival with their families and friends in Ilara-Mokin as farm paths were the only route to other communities then, it ts also
done because farmers harvest new yams mostly this period therefore the path would not be too bushy.
IDAASU – Idaasu is not really a festival in meal sense but herald of ijesu festival. A day before ljesu, the farmers, and their families
io their farms to harvevt yams
they must wash it clean and their wives will carry those yams from the farm singing and praising their husband It goes thus “poke o, poloo, mo ri o meku o, mo ri o moyo, temi gho, tere tigbo,
arigbo usu ekikan, etc
At home, the great farmer distributes the yams to his wife/wives and ather family members he so wishes(desires), this the beginning and sign that ijesu festival is around.
IJOBI ODE FESTIVAL. – All hunters in the kingdom celebrate festivals
hunters would gather themselves in the house of Chief Akogbona (their leader), There they pray for success of their adventure throughout the year, it is a day festival, Alara would pray with them and offer a cock for sacrifice, some notable chiefs would also come with well wishers to celebrate with them. would shoot their guns and start to dance to the drum according to their ranks.
They would feast to round up the festival.
OTATE FESTIVAL – This festival is celebrated to refresh memory on
honour of princess LAYIORE who forgot her horsetail on a rock, and decided to go back to take it. YEYE ULE, the natural ruler of the women the kingdom the Chief Priest. She goes annually to call Layiore and celebrate with her and lastly bring her prophecy to the king and entire people.
IJOBU ILU FESTIVAL – This is a general fjobu Festival, every citizen is expected to be involved, it is celebrated with the belief that god of kolanut would make kolanuts fruitful, kolanut is one of the cconomic mainstay of Ilara-Mokin people, the Chief Priest is Chief Selemo.
