Kumasi stood still this past week as the Ashanti Kingdom bade farewell to the late Asantehemaa, Nana Konadu Yiadom III, in a solemn four-day rite known as Doti Yie.
The ceremonies, held from September 15 to 18, ended with her secretive royal burial. In keeping with Ashanti tradition, residents of Kumasi were ordered to remain indoors during the sacred procession that preceded the burial. Executioners from the Manhyia Palace warned that anyone found on the designated routes risked losing their life.
Though much of the ritual remains cloaked in secrecy, the Asante Nation, a pro-Manhyia social media account, revealed that Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II personally led the nighttime rites. According to the post, he escorted the late queen mother’s remains to Bantama, where she was interred at the royal cemetery.
