Marriage
Dipo is a rite of passage practised in the Eastern region of Ghana. The traditional festival is carried out by the residents of Odumase-Krobo.
Upon announcement of the festival, mothers send their daughters to the chief priest.
A set of rituals and tests commence that determine if the girls are allowed to participate in the festival.
The girls have their heads shaved, wrapped with a cloth from their waist that reaches their knees and are given a bath by the chief priest.
The next morning the chief pours libations and asks for blessings for the girls. The girls’ feet are washed with the blood of a goat in hopes of cleansing them from a spirit of sterility.
The girls are then directed to sit on the sacred stone, called “Tekpete”. If found to be pregnant or unchaste, they are ostracized by their community and aren’t able to marry any man from the tribe.
