
Buhanga Ecopark, despite its small size (around 31 hectares) just a short drive from volcanoes national park is a hidden treasure packed with a great deal of biological and cultural significance. The location is built on an ancient sacred site that was used for coronation rituals of Rwandan kings. The forest takes on a different dimension depending on the time of day, season of year and weather conditions. It’s quite arduous as you get into the forest walking on trails made entirely from cut lava stones under the covering of tall majestic trees as well as creeping and crawling plants as you are ushered in by beautiful colorful butterflies and various bird species singing in the air.
After some minutes of hiking, you reach the first stop, a small ditch surrounded by lava stone and flowery thicket, where king’s helpers (Abiru) would pick herbs for the king to shower. These herbs were added into bathing (spring water) purposely to cleanse it before the king takes a shower of them as part of the coronation. Then continue down to head to a dark cave surrounded by huge boulders where the king was wheeled in a royal carriage, Ingobyi, straight from his palace in Nyanza. It was therefore a first stop for the king right from the palace and no single stops would be made on the way. Then the king would have for a bath with the herb and spring-water mixture.
As you hike further you find a conference podium Comprised of hard, well cut lava rocks and chairs on the edge, this is where the king would be carried to after bathing to receive kingship instruments, blessings and protection from gods. And after here, the king would be officially titled as “Umwami” of Rwanda and the ceremony would be graced by his advisory council, elders, royal sorcerers and clan heads.
From the podium, a walk downhill took up to a small spring containing dark water. This is where the King’s bathwater was collected. The oddest thing about this spring is that it overflows in the dry season but almost dries up during the rainy season. In 1988, one morning, the local chief ordered that the spring should be dredged. His men did, but before darkness fell the spring was over flowing again and on the following day, a huge snake pitched camp at chief’s residence for seven days and on the eighth day, the chief and the rest of his men disappeared as a result.
Other mysteries of Buhanga forest include three-in-one tree, referred to as “Inyabutatu” by the local people. It is a result of three different tree species; the Ikigabiro, Igihondondo, and Umusando being intertwined forming a three-in-one-tree. It explains the harmony of Rwandan ethnic groups who served one king loyally. Also there is Umuvumu tree which is translated as a curse. History tells that one day some local men collected firewood from this tree and the next morning all their families had perished hence the tree was known to be cursed.
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