Every year on July 14, Mahajanga becomes crowded, with crowds flocking here to take part in the ceremony of washing the relics of the Buin kings.
Mahajanga — is an ancient fishing port in northwestern Madagascar that laid the foundation for the Sakalavian kingdom of Buina. According to some sources, the name Mahajanga comes from «Mji angaia», which means «city of flowers» in Swahili. Other sources claim that this name comes from the expression «Maha janga», which means «-bearing healing».
Relics of the four kings of the Buina State are kept on the sacred hill of Duani. Arab jewelers enclosed them in precious reliquaries. The hut in which they are kept also contains objects intended for performing rituals and various things of monarchs.