The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, has donated three acres of land to the International Council for Ifa Religion (ICIR) for the establishment of the World Ifa Temple in Ile-Ife, Osun State.
The donation, which is located around the Stadium Area, Route 7, in the ancient city of Ile-Ife, is expected to house what will become the largest pilgrimage site for adherents of Yoruba traditional religion globally.
The President of ICIR, Fayemi Fakayode, made this known in a statement issued on Wednesday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Describing the gesture as historic, Fakayode praised the monarch for his unwavering commitment to the preservation of Yoruba culture and spirituality.
He said, “This gesture of our referred first class Oba has demonstrated his love for tradition and Yoruba culture and spirituality.
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“On behalf of the Council of Araba and Oluwo, under the Chairmanship of His Eminence, Awodotun Aworeni, the Araba/Olu-Isese Agbaye and all practitioners of Ifa and Orisa Worldwide, we thank His Imperial Majesty, Oba Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, for this good and historic gesture.
“With this step, Ooni’s commitment to preserving and promoting Oduduwa’s cultural heritage and spirituality is obvious to all to see.
“This project is going to be the largest World Ifa Temple across the world, and it will serve as a major pilgrimage site for practitioners of Oduduwa’s spirituality across the globe.”
He added that construction work has already commenced on the site.
The Council had earlier approached the monarch to request land for the initiative as part of its effort to promote the global visibility of Yoruba indigenous religion and culture. ICIR is headquartered at Oke-Itase, Ile-Ife, a spiritual landmark for practitioners of the Ifa tradition.
