DEWUNMI LAGOS

Annually, the Udiroko festival is celebrated in Ado-Ekiti.
It is the only festival according to Ado-Ekiti tradition that brings all Ado-Ekiti citizens both at home and in the diaspora together.
This unique festival affords the Ewi, his chiefs, sons and daughters of this ancient kingdom to converge once in a year at the palace of the paramount ruler of Ado-Ekiti with their friends to celebrate.

Udiroko was established at about 1310 AD during the reign of Oba Awamaro the first Ewi in the modern and present day Ado-Ekiti.
It is the first day of Ado-Ekiti like the January 1st of modern calendar. It is a day the people set aside for individuals to give thanks for his or her creator (OLORUN) hence the nickname “OLORUNBORUN” festival.

The word Udiroko is derived from the venue of the festival which is converging under the Big Uroko Tree at the palace of the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti. The Iroko Tree used to shield the people from the sun and its effect in those days. The Ado-Ekiti people troop out on the first day of their traditional calendar year after they have treated themselves to delicious meal of pounded yam with egusi soup and undiluted palm wine ‘emu aroso’ and head straight to the palace to catch a glimpse of their Oba in their best attires. There they would be treated with cultural displays, War Lords from various towns and villages under Ewi’s territorial domain would come with gifts to the OLOKUNAYE. The gifts which were usually Asala (walnuts) obi (kola nuts) are freely shared by the people. Ewi would present his address after the war lords displayed their prowess and demonstrated their war exploits.
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