Many believers of the traditional faith are converging at Apetorku’s Shrine at Dagbamatey within the Akatsi South Municipality of the Volta Region to mark the celebration of ‘Apetorku Easter Festival’.
This year’s ceremony, which started from Saturday evening into Sunday, was characterised by cultural displays and sacrifices to the gods for spiritual atonement, fortification and making of new vows.
Participants were clad in white attires, beads and wearing prescribed perfume and powder as they play enchantment in styles during the period.
Some other activities were drumming and dancing from day one till the next morning, with the adornment and outdooring of the gods by a processing through the town and back to the Shrine in the morning of Sunday.
This would be preceded by performances from different traditional groups such as Yewe, Breteke, Korku, Zanugbetorwo and others.
There will be series of sacrifices amidst drumming and dancing during the week.
One key aim of the gathering was to advance the role of traditional religion in enhancing national development as well as gaining more spiritual strengths.
Some elders, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) ahead of the event, said the gods were built on principle of love, truth, justice, good and peace.
They added that, the festival, which has been in existence for years, saw people home and abroad, who sought spiritual help and had their wishes come true return to thank the gods.
Apetorku Easter Festival is an annual convention of traditional believers at Apetorku Shrine with a sitting capacity of over 1,000.
The festival would be led by Nugorgbea Kofi Moses Davor after the demise of Hunua Yao Dunyo, who ruled for several decades.
Many dignitaries from Ghana and the diaspora are expected to grace the event.
Participants would be fed for their stay for free with a climax night called ‘nugadordor’.
A visit by the GNA to Dagbamatey on Saturday saw the town folks putting all the COVID-19 safety protocols in place in order to control any spread of the disease.