Title:
THE SACRALITY OF MENRI [NRI] TOMB IN TRADITIONAL IGBO BELIEF

Authors:
Francis Chuks Madukasi ,Nigeria

Abstract:
In the depths of the human spirit resides an inclination or tendency to actually follow the same paths that has been long venerated by our ancestors. It is believed in African mysticism that travel is the spiritual food for the soul, especially when that spiritual journey takes us to another plane where our humble hearts illuminate. Journeys to sacred places like that of Menri tomb touch upon that which is significant to our spiritual inclination and humanity. These site seeing actually opens our mind set to the world around us, our whole history, the cosmos above and equally to each other. When one arrives at his spiritual destination, he find himself closer to his own personal/individual reality, not only in time, but in space. In Igbo belief system, something magical happens at the tomb of Menri in Aguleri that triggers an unconscious memory and to learn about the world of sacred places is to learn about ourselves. The journey to the Menri tomb which comes with its breeze of blessings after is highly surrounded with mysteries up till today. This paper examines how this Menri tomb becomes an indigenous sacred temple of mortality that binds the Igbo communities in ritual symbology of brotherhood and serves also as an epicenter for global tourism site in Igbo ontology.