Old Tafo is considered the home of the Ohum Festival of Akyem Abuakwa. The festival connects the town with the Gyempremo Shrine and religious festival practices. Two questions are especially helpful for planning: When exactly does the festival take place, and are you interested in the festival activities or in making your own visit to the shrine? Choosing a suitable time and finding out whether a shrine visit is possible are separate planning considerations.

Ohum Festival: plan your travel dates

July and September are given as festival months; specific dates may vary. These months offer an initial guide, but not a specific event date. If Ohum is the reason for your trip, confirm the date for that year before setting your travel dates. This will help you plan around the time that actually works for you.

The Gyempremo Shrine

The Gyempremo Shrine is a sacred shrine in Old Tafo, associated with an ancient spiritual tree. The shrine is central to the Ohum Festival. The site is also referred to as “Ohum Shrine and Ohum Dua (Gyempremo Shrine).” Ohum thus appears both in the name of the festival and in one name for the shrine. Gyempremo Shrine and Ohum Shrine and Ohum Dua refer to the same sacred site. Understanding this naming helps distinguish the celebration from its location while recognizing their connection.

What the festival practices involve

During the Ohum Festival, a journey led by traditional leaders goes to the Gyempremo Shrine. The chief and the people of Akyem Tafo and the surrounding area visit the shrine to perform rituals and make offerings to the deity. The festival practices described therefore include both the journey to the shrine and religious observances at this sacred site. The festival months indicate the time of year; the rituals and offerings provide insight into what takes place. If you are considering visiting the shrine yourself, check in advance whether a visit is possible.

Places and community connections

The names also refer to different things: Old Tafo is the location of the shrine and is considered the home of the festival; Akyem Abuakwa is the association of the Ohum Festival. The chief and the people of Akyem Tafo and the surrounding area are named as participants in the festival practices described. This helps distinguish the festival’s association, its specific location, and its participants without treating the names as interchangeable.

Planning your trip to Old Tafo

For your travel plans, the information can be grouped by purpose: July and September provide a guide to timing, Old Tafo and the shrine establish the location, and the guided journey, rituals, and offerings describe the festival practices. Depending on whether the date, the sacred site, or the festival activities matter most to you, you will have a different planning question to consider.

Discover more destinations: Dodowa, Obo, Akuse, Koforidua, Aburi, Nkawkaw, Akyem Kwabeng, Akropong

For the regional travel overview: Eastern Region.