The Ngondo is an annual water-centered festival held by the

Sawa Sawa may refer to: Places * Sawa, Nepal, a village development committee * Sawa, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland, a village * Saveh, sometimes transliterated Sāwa, Iran, a city * Sawa Lake, Iraq People * Sawa (Hrycuniak) (born Michał Hrycunia ...

(coastal peoples) in

Douala Douala is the largest city in Cameroon and its economic capital. It is also the capital of Cameroon's Littoral Region (Cameroon), Littoral Region. Home to Central Africa's largest port and its major international airport, Douala International Ai ...

Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...

. The highlight of the festival is a ceremony of the

jengu A jengu (plural miengu) is a water spirit in the traditional beliefs of the Sawa ethnic groups of Cameroon, particularly the Duala, Bakweri, Malimba, Batanga, Bakoko, Oroko people and related Sawa peoples. Among the Bakweri, the name is lieng ...

. The ceremony is held at a beach on Wouri Bay, during which a devotee enters the water to visit the underwater kingdom of the miengu (plural for jengu). The miengu are believed to be similar to mermaids, and will grant good luck to their worshippers. According to tradition, the devotee can remain underwater for hours, and emerge with his clothing appearing completely dry. Children are not allowed to attend the ceremony. Ngondo was banned by the government of Cameroon in 1981, but reinstated in 1991. The ceremony is held during the first two weeks of December every year.

Gallery

File:HRKaba.JPG, Women with blue Kaba File:Kdfkaba00.JPG, Woman with green Kaba File:KdfKaba010.JPG, Women with black Kaba File:GedKaba.JPG, Women with striped Kaba File:Le soir au Ngondo à NBAGA-BAKOKO.jpg, Festival evening File:Activités du Ngondo 02.jpg, Ritual File:Activités du Ngondo 20.jpg, West community invited at Ngondo File:Activités du Ngondo 05.jpg, Ngondo Traditional wrestling File:Activités du Ngondo 15.jpg, Assiko Dancers File:Activités du Ngondo 17.jpg File:Activités du Ngondo 12.jpg File:Activités du Ngondo 14.jpg File:Activités du Ngondo 11.jpg, swimming competition File:Fleuve Wouri à Douala 09.jpg, Ritual pirogue File:Danse sawa ngondo6.jpg, Abele singers File:Fleuve Wouri à Douala 08.jpg, Ngondo place File:Activités du Ngondo 7.jpg,

Tupuri Tupuri (or Toupouri) is a language mostly spoken in the Mayo-Kebbi Est Region of southern Chad and in small parts of northern Cameroon. It is an Mbum language spoken by the Tupuri people with approximately 300,000 speakers. Tupuri was erroneou ...

community at Ngondo

References

External links

Festivals in Cameroon Religious festivals in Cameroon Cultural festivals in Cameroon {{Reli-festival-stub