The late Asantehemaa’s final funeral rites have been scheduled to hold from 1st to 15th December, 2017.
It has not been forgotten, especially at the Manhyia Palace of the Ashanti Kingdom in Kumasi, that the Queen Mother, the Asantehemaa Nana Afia Kobi Serwah Ampem II departed this life about a year ago.
According to the tradition of the Ashanti Kingdom, Asantehemaa’s final funeral rites are carried out one year after her death. Recall that the Queen Mother died in November, 2016 and was buried in January, 2017 in a four-day funeral filled with feasting and series of ceremonial activities.
The tradition also specifies that the Asantehemaa’s final funeral will be planned the succeeding Queen Mother together with the Otumfuo.
The funeral Planning Committee has therefore released the programme of events for the late Queen Mother’s final rites which have placed some restrictions on Kumasi residents. Some of the restrictions include a ban on burials and funerals from Friday 1st December to Monday, December 11 as well as a curfew on the night of Saturday, December 9, from 9 pm to 2 am when a special ceremony will be performed by the Asantehene and Asantehemaa.
Also See: Things You MUST NEVER Do at Asantehemaa’s Funeral
Below is a detailed order of activities and restrictions:
Friday 1st December: Performance by traditional Priests and Priestess from 6am to 6pm at the Boagyawe in the Manhyia Palace.
Saturday 2nd December: Wake keeping starts. From Friday night till Day break on Saturday at the Asantehemaa’s Palace.
Sunday 3rd December: Kuntunkuni day, Otumfuo will sit in state from 11am to 6pm at Dwabrem at the Manhyia Palace.
Wake keeping continues from 6pm till day break of Monday at Manhyia and all other Palaces across the Asante Kingdom.
Monday 4th December: Traditional wailing from dawn to 6am by the Queen mother and other women in the palace. They are expected to parade from Manhyia to Adum and back. There will be firing of musketry. This event is purely private.
From 7am to 12pm, Nananom of the Kumasi Traditional Area will parade from their various areas to Manhyia in their smocks.
At 1pm, Otumfuo will parade from Pampaso, through Kejetia, Dr. Mensah, Krofrom to Manhyia Bonmu in his Batakari Kese.
He will sit in state to receive sympathizers and donations from 3pm to 6pm at Dwabrem, in the Manhyia Palace.
Tuesday 5th December: Firing of Musketry by Paramount Chiefs of the Asante Kingdom from 8am to 1pm at the Manhyia Bonmu.
Otumfuo will sit in state to receive sympathizers and donations from 9am to 6pm at Dwabrem at the Manhyia Palace.
Wednesday 6th December: Performance of customary rites. Otumfuo will sit in state to receive sympathizers and donations from 11am to 6pm at Dwabrem in the Manhyia Palace.
His wife is expected to console him with the traditional Gold Necklace, Awisiado.
Otumfuo will sit in state to receive sympathizers and donations from 11am to 6pm at Dwabrem in the Manhyia Palace.
Government Officials are on this day expected to sympathize with the King.
Wives of the Princes of the Golden Stool will present customary burial articles, Adosoa and Futuo from 10am to 1pm at Dwabrem in the Manhyia Palace.
Friday 8th December: The fast which began on Sunday will end on this day.
Otumfuo will distribute sheep, foodstuffs and firewood to mourners who have been fasting in the morning.
Consecration rites of the stool in memory of Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II will be held in the evening at Werempe.
Saturday, 9th December: Exhibition of the various customary burial articles presented by the wives of Princes of the Golden Stool from 8am to 12pm at the Asantehemaa’s Palace.
There will be purification rites for the cleansing of the royals of the Golden Stool. This will be characterized by the shaving of hair and paring of nails into the Abusua kuruwa from 6am to 12pm, in front of the Asantehemaa’s Palace.
Otumfuo will sit in state from 2pm to 6pm to welcome the consecrated stool of Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II from Werempe at Bogyawe.
In the night, Asantehene and Asantehemaa will send the Abusua Kuruwa to Breman.
Sunday 10th December: Interdenominational Thanksgiving service and memorial Thanksgiving service at 1pm at Dwabrem in the Manhyia Palace.
Dress for this event is Adinkra Fufuo or black and white cloth.
Monday 11th December: Otumfuo will sit in state to bid farewell to Nananom and express his appreciation and gratitude to sympathizers from 10am to 3pm at Dwabrem in the Manhyia Palace.
Friday 15th December: 2nd Thanksgiving service and memorial service for the Late Queen mother at the Kumasi Central mosque.
On Monday and Tuesday, residents in Kumasi are to stay indoors and not come around the Central Business District.
On Saturday evening, no one must be seen outside from 12 pm to 5am.
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