THE new Director-General, Ekiti State Council for Arts and Culture, Ambassador Wale Ojo-Lanre, led a crew of hikers and officials of the council on an expedition tour of Esa Rock lying on the new Iyin road being constructed by Governor Kayode Fayemi.
The expedition to Esa Mountain was in preparation for the first-ever Ekiti Mountain Hike Safari being promoted by Ekiti Hike, a group of young people who are branding Ekiti Hills and Mountain for Safari tourism
The strange rock which is called Esu Esa approximated to weigh 50 tons, is tied to the Esa Mountain with a small root which looks like a thread or creeper and a small pebble. It sits gingerly on Esa Mountain as if a little push or a fingertip can push down the slope.
Any visitor to the Mountain will love to make attempt at pushing the Rock down the hill but will be astonished that the rock stability is just like that of Rock Gibraltar.
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According to Eje, who was the guide, “This is a Strange Rock. A human rock? The Rock was never a rock but a human being who turned to a Rock in order to be captured alive.”
He said “There was no rock like this here before according to our forefathers But during the time of formation, there were wars and tiffs among the pockets of towns and villages around these areas waging war against each other. Then there was a conspiracy against a particular town, which has a powerful band of an army. This band was faced in battle from four directions. It was a fierce battle. And being the generalissimo who was hard and powerful, he sensed that he could be captured and treated like a goat, and like a prisoner of war by those he considered weaklings, he faced the sky, chanted incantation and turned to this rock which you can see is tied to the Esa Mountain by a thread like object. This is a strange Rock called Esu Esa.”
The Director-General also visited Agogo Esa, a slice of stone on the same rock which, if beaten by a stone sounds like a gong!
There are many slices of stone on the Mountain, but it was the Agogo Esa that once beaten it.
Explaining this, Eje said, “This is their own instrument of calling and drawing their attention for a meeting”.
The crew also entered the Esa Cave and saw the relics of old.
In his response to media inquisitions, Ojo-Lanre said that Ekiti State is a paragon of cultural tourism as ‘the state is blessed with wondrous cultural artefacts and items which are meats and food for tourism.”
Another stone sound likes a gong
Explaining this, Eje said, “This is their own instrument of calling and drawing their attention for a meeting”.
The crew also entered the Esa Cave and saw the relics of old.
In his response to media inquisitions, Ojo-Lanre said that Ekiti State is a paragon of cultural tourism as ‘the state is blessed with wondrous cultural artefacts and items which are meats and food for tourism.”