 Oxalá or Obatala, the Orixá, the King in the white robe or still the Big Orixá, is the most important Yoruba god. He was the first creation of Olodumare, the Supreme God, who gave him the power of suggestion, Aba, and of realisation, Axé, reason why he is greeted with the title Alabalaxé Oxalá is considered, in Brazil as well as in Africa, as the greatest of Orixás. His adepts wear necklaces of white beads and dress in white. The day of the week dedicated to him is friday. He's synchretised as Our Lord of Bonfim, only because his prestige is so important in Bahia and he inspires so big a devotion among all social layers of the population. A synchretised version of the water of Oxalá is the yearly cleaning of the floor of the basilic of Our Lord of Bonfim in Bahia, the thursday before the feast of Bonfim, which takes place on a sunday. A number of devout catholics had the habit of cleaning the church zealously. Such outings of devotion occured not only in this church, but in Bonfim it evolved differently. The descendents of the Africans, moved bu a feeling of devotion towards christ and the African god, mixed the two cleanings: that of the Axés of Oxalá and that of the floor of the church that carries tha catholic name of the same Orixá. This is a very well-known feast in Brasil. From everywhere people come to participate in the cleaning on thursday. On that day, Bahian women, dressed in white, come in procession to the church of Bonfim. On the head they carry water jars to clean the floor of the church and flowers to decorate the altar. They are always accompanied by a huge crowd. | 