THE GREAT ASANTE NATION DISPLAYS ITS BEAUTIFUL CULTURE

Asantes buried their Queen,Afua Kobi Serwaah Ampim 11 in the night of Thursday, the 19^th of January at the Royal Mausoleum in Breman,near Kumasi.This culminated in a four-day burial service for the Queen who reigned from 1977 to 2016 and died at the age of 111 years.Otumfour Osei Tutu 11 ,the Asantehene is the last child of the late Queen.

The significance of events will ever be on the minds of ghanaians and foreigners.The revelation of Asante culture and custom hithertoo not known to many people,both ghanaian and foreigners, might even have frightened many.All started on Monday,the 16^th of January with the sitting in state of the Asantehene at the forecourt of the Manhyia Palace,after the performing of burial rites.As usual ,Otumfour was surrounded by the Amanhene of Asante,sub- chiefs,Akyiame and all the many people who play various roles at the Manhyia Palace.

Asantes are very attentive in paying tribute to the dead,whatever the person's social status is .Week-ends are very busy for funerals in the whole of the Asante nation.No wonder the passing away of the Queen heralded a period of mourning that lasted for about three months.What was significant was that drumming and noise making were banned until she was buried as custom demands when the King or the Queen «go to the village».

The four -day celebration brought the Asante Nation into a solemn frenzy and infact the whole of Ghana's attention pointed to Kumasi, the Asante capital.The President of the Republic of Ghana and his entourage were there on the first and last days of the event.Former Presidents were also present as well other politicians,members of the Clergy, Diplomats ,Chiefs ,Tourists,Business people and many others. All these people came to console the Asantehene and the Asante people .And the Asantehene sat in state to recognize their presence and show of sympathy.The display by the Fontofrom,Kete,Adoa and other groups and the beautiful dancers brought dignity to the program.

During a solemn and sad occasion like the death of the Queen,the whole Asanteman was in Black and Red.The «Abrafoo» ,or the Warriors, were there making the whole thing look grave.The ancestral display by fetish priests also give great cultural significance to the occasion.Umbrellas of the various Chiefs brought dignity and meaning to the Asante people and their Culture.

Thursday,the 19^th of January,2017, was the climax of the celebrations.The Queen who had been laid in state at her Palace earlier was brought to the forecourt in her golden couffin where the Asantehene,Paramount Chiefs,The President of Ghana and other dignitaries had gathered.After consoling the Asantehene,the Arch-bishop of the Anglican Church of Ghana led the Clergy of Ghana to officiate the burial service for the late Queen mother .After the burial service,a military convey sent her to the Bantama Mausoleum where customary rites were performed before she was sent to the Royal Mausoleum at Breman where she joined her ancestors for eternity.

Thursday,the 19^th of January,2017 will go down in the history of Asanteman and Ghana in general.The Asanteman Traditional Council ordered that everybody,apart from Security and Emergency service personnel assigned on duty were to stay in-door from 7pm to 4am of Friday,the 20^th of January .The reason was that customary rites to be performed would need that people were kept away.It was also explained that some unscrupulous people would take advantage to commit crimes in the name of the customary activities that would be performed.It is indeed true that many years ago,the burial of the Kings and Queen mothers,as history has said ,gave way to beheading of people to accompany the Royals on their journeys.The practice is said to have ceased but it is still dangerous to go out during such occasions.

So Kumasi,the busy Asante capital was completely emptied of its inhabitants,with no human nor commercial actitivities going on there.It had not been so in recent memories but people accepted and obeyed the order for the love they had for their Queen and their King,Otumfour Osei Tutu 11.

Media Commentators,tourists and many people have described the event as a historic one that will be remebered for a long time.Asantes have really endeared themselves with this show of their beautiful Culture and Customs.A people which loses its culture loses its identity ,its value and its existance.

WRITTEN BY JB AMOATENG.