As the aura of the festive season envelopes households of varied statuses in anticipation of tomorrow’s auspicious event, WikkiTimes in this piece enlists some worthy-to-be places in Bauchi State, where you could create and recreate good times against unavoidable odds.
In all ramifications, it is a different stroke for different folks as all fingers are not equal. For some, the ambience of these centres is no more attractive. Yet, many households suspend their hurdles with life to fill in with the festive aura.
Here are some cynosure centres to rekindle family and friends’ bonds in the heart of ‘Pearl of Tourism.’
TOMB OF SIR ABUBAKAR TAFAWA
Abubakar Tafawa Balewa eponymed as the “Golden Voice of Africa” rests in the capital city of Bauchi.
The tomb of the one and only Nigeria’s Prime Minister has become a cynosure attracting tourists across the globe.
Declared a national monument on August 29, 1979, the tomb houses a library, gallery and a mosque. A time spent here would be justifiable — a library to learn, unlearn and relearn; a gallery to walk through the past memories and a worship centre to settle your spiritual scores.
You can reflect on his simple life despite being a top-class politician. Perhaps, that awakes and reshapes your patriotism. Who knows what a minute could mean in the 17-feet fenced moral sanctuary?
As you go in there to feed your eyes and have fun, pray for the Golden Voice whose life was terminated in a January 15, 1966 coup.
YANKARI GAMES RESERVES
Seeing wild lives could be scary not only to your wards, but to yourself. Though it would enhance the experience and embolden self esteems.
Yankari Game Reserves, situated in Bauchi covers a total area of 2,244 km². Research reveals the centre hosts the most significant surviving elephant population in the country. It also has within it surviving lions,birds and other animal species.
This aside, a visit to this site would make you feed your eyes with:
- Dukkey Wells – 139 wells with interconnecting shafts representing an elaborate water storage system.
- Marshall Caves – 59 dwelling caves dug into sandstone escarpments, which were discovered by P.J. Marshall in 1980. There are rock paintings and engravings in zig-zag form and in straight lines.
- Tunga Dutse – a rock with more elaborate engravings than the Marshall caves. Legible writings cover an area on the sandstone rock embankment of about 4m in length in Dwall River. The writings are legible. However, their age and meanings have not been determined
- Iron Smelting – the shau shau iron smelting works has about 60 standing shaft furnaces, which are believed to be the largest historical industrial complex of its time in the West Africa Sub-region
It’s one of the best places to have a natural ambience of the Eid festival in Bauchi.
EMIR’S PALACE
Taking a tour in a sanctuary abode of an Emir is second to none. The traditional and cultural artefacts pulsate one’s mind.
Locally called Kofar Fada, the Emir of Bauchi palace is situated at the centre of the city with magnificent architecture where the paramount ruler of Bauchi resides. Built as a fortress for the Emir and his officials, the palace’s walls are tall and its compound is spacious for festive celebrations like Eid and coronation ceremonies.
Historically, the palace was constructed with mud in the 19th century by a master builder from Zaria famed Babban Gwani, real name Muhammadu Durugu. The structure stood for over 200 years ago. It is open to the public to walk through and take pictures of the beautiful arched balconies and windows.
WIKKI SPRING WATER
Can you dive without drowning? God forbid a costly accident! Amen. It’s Sallah period, not ‘eyah’ season.
A pebble thrown into this spring goes 1.9 meters deep and its ripples spread, possibly round its 13.0 width. Swim with caution or at best be a spectator. Just watch and heave a sigh.
“It daily flows 21,000,000 litres of clear, spring water into the Gaji River. The spring has a constant temperature of 31.1 °C throughout the year during both day and night and has been developed for recreation,” an excerpt culled from Yankari’s website states.
The aquatic life here arrests your attention and seizes you from myriads of odd thoughts. You can try it out!
