PICTURES: Religious worship at the Braamfontein Spruit

Each Sunday a variety of religious and traditional faithful stream into a corner of suburban Craighall, to use the waters of the Braamfontein Spruit to spiritually connect with gods and forefathers.

Religious devotees stand beneath a waterfall along the Braamfontein Spruit in Craighall, Johannesburg, 25 August 2024, as they take part in Sunday worship and prayers. Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen

A small waterfall cascading over a maybe 6-metre-high, man-made dam serves as the backdrop for religious ceremonies involving baptism, cleansing and communing with ancestors.

Hundreds of devotees, representing different religious groups, including Zionists, Pentacostal and traditional among others, travel from across Gauteng to use this site believed to have spiritual significance.

Leaders adorned in ornate robes and carrying symbolic icons lead their followers to sites along this part of the spruit.

Some immerse themselves in the deeper waters of the stream, some chant and pray along the banks lighting small fires, while others step beneath the cascading icy waters of the waterfall.

Photographer Michel Bega has documented some of the religious activities.