Dipo festival

On Sunday we had the immense privilege to witness part of the Dipo festival

This is a women's initiation rite held by the Krobo people. A fuller account can be found here https://bradtghanaupdate.wordpress.com/2013/04/07/dipo-festival-of-the-krobo-somanya-odumasi/

what we witnessed was some of the girls getting their heads shaven (for a few they remained with a full head of hair having paid a fine) - this took quite a long time, and was hot and rainy and didn't feel very anticipatory exactly...

the Queen mother - a very important role in Ghanian society

waiting round

 

selfies- with newly shaven heads

The atmosphere changed once the meal was ready.

Maize / corn are roasted whole, and then ground to a flour, which is then made into a mush, and served with a fresh portion of palm oil.  Some people also had a serving of a fish and vegetable stew added

queue for the fish stew

After the meal and the final heads were shaved the girls began to be dressed in the beads, by their ritual mothers / mothers / aunts

I was made to go and take a photo of the plump older girl 

The aunties would sing and dance and I think tell rude jokes, and have a few drinks too..

 Once everyone was dressed a long queue formed. There was a bit of jostling for the first girl to lead the ceremony - by the aunties not the girls - as the littles were placed at the front - round 6 years old, I don't believe that these girls were being made ready for marriage, but couldn't really find out why the young ones were participating too

The girls are holding a piece of white cloth for purity on their heads, and they are sprayed with clay water and given a leaf to hold in their mouths until they return to the village.  The girls are walked by their family to the sacred rock (we weren't allowed) where by sitting on it they proved their virginity

this is the priest who is leading the ceremony

After the sacred rock, the girls were carried back to the village - sometimes by their family, but other times by young men / suitors - when the audience would call and tease

This was when we left, I think the girls went then to the chiefs house for blessing, but by then we were tired and the highpoint had passed.  It was an incredible day, very much a womens festival, perhaps changing with the times, but still going on.