The solemn ceremony, held a week after the Homowo festival, involved the sprinkling of Kpokpoi-a traditional Ga dish made from steamed, fermented corn dough, seasoned with palm oil and often okra-and the pouring of schnapps, beer, and water on gravestones, in accordance with Ga custom.

Families of the deceased royals were present to witness the rites.

Nii Kwardey Ntreh, Storyteller and Traditional Historian at the Ga Mantse Palace, explained that the ritual is a sacred obligation of every Ga Mantse to serve the ancestors their share of the Homowo feast.

“The red regalia and attire worn by the King, and all, signify that we are not in a happy mood but in a period of remembrance of our departed fathers and mothers.

“This custom teaches us that sacrifices, and good services rendered to the State will surely be remembered,” he said.

Nii Ntreh noted that the Mausoleum, known as Mantseman, is the final resting place of Ga Kings, chiefs, clan heads, and royal families who served the Ga State.

“As we believe that the departed souls are spirits and live, we ask them during the performance of the custom that they (spirits) shower our lives with more blessings, good health, progress, and wealth, and at the same time take away evil from our midst,” he said.

The King’s journey began with a royal procession through principal streets of Accra, accompanied by chiefs, elders, Asafoatsemei and Asafoanyemei, all dressed in red, with warriors firing musketry amidst drumming and singing.

At the Mausoleum, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II led the rites, making symbolic gestures believed to communicate with the spirits.

The entourage then visited Accra Brewery, Kantamanto, and the statue of King Tackie Tawiah I at Makola, performing similar rituals at each location.

The procession concluded at the Ga Stool House, while indigenes continued celebrations with street festivities, including makeshift bars and pubs.

Homowo, meaning “hooting at hunger,” is a major Ga festival in Ghana commemorating the end of a historic famine.

It features feasting on Kpokpoi and palm nut soup, drumming, chanting, and dancing, culminating in a vibrant celebration in Ga-Mashie, Accra.