The sacred city of Mongaguá, on the coast of São Paulo, became a spiritual crossroads as the Iyami Osoronga Festival was celebrated at the Odùdùwà Templo dos Orixás, the largest Òrìṣà temple in Brazil. Devotees, priests, priestesses, and pilgrims from different parts of the world gathered in reverence to honor Ìyámi Òṣòròngà, the Great Mothers of Yorùbá cosmology.
Speaking as Bàbá King, the spiritual father of the Odùdùwà Templo dos Orixás, the central lecture of the festival carried a message described by many as both ancestral and urgent. Addressing the multitude, he reminded everyone of the primordial role of mothers in existence itself:
“Let us celebrate our mothers. They gave us the very first place to live, which is their womb. Therefore, celebrating Ìyámi Òṣòròngà today is a reference to all mothers.”
According to Bàbá King, honoring Ìyámi is not an act of fear, but of recognition, balance, and gratitude. He emphasized that without the Mothers, no life, destiny, or spiritual journey can unfold.
In his teaching, Bàbá King also spoke strongly about the transformative power of Òrìṣà and Ifá in the life of an initiate. He explained that when practiced with discipline, respect, and ìwà pẹ̀lẹ́ (good character), Òrìṣà worship reshapes destiny itself. Highlighting the role of Ifá, he stated:
“Ifá will better your Orí if it is well done with ìwà pẹ̀lẹ́.”
He concluded with a powerful metaphor that resonated deeply among the devotees:
“Be the President of the Federal Republic of your Orí — your inner head.”
The festival unfolded as a living expression of Yorùbá spirituality. Sacred dances and rituals were performed on the beach, where the sea bore witness to chants, offerings, and ancestral invocations. Colorful processions moved through the streets, with Osorongas dressed in traditional Yorùbá attire, accompanied by Ajagùnmàlè parading among vast multitudes of worshippers. Drums, songs, and collective prayers transformed the public space into a sacred corridor.
More than a celebration, the Iyami Osoronga Festival stood as a pilgrimage of Yorùbá spirituality in the diaspora — a reaffirmation that ancestral knowledge, when preserved and lived, continues to guide, protect, and awaken communities across generations and continents.
