Inti Raymi Festival
To sun-worshiping Incas,
the rite of Inti Raymi, a tribute to the Sun God Apu Inti Tayta, doubtless
marked the most important date on their calendar. The winter solstice
represented both the beginning of a new cycle and the return of the source of
life to the Andes.
A re-enactment of this
solstice celebration takes place every year on June 24 in historic Cusco, the
ancient hub of the Inca's vast empire. More than 150,000 colorfully clad
natives and tourists assemble in the morning at the fabled Coricancha, or Sun
Temple, where the Inca (a local resident designated to play the part) delivers
an invocation of praise to Father Sun. Next, the royal entourage moves to the
city's main plaza, formerly the Incas' great civic square. After a ceremonial
reading of the sacred coca leaf to divine the future of the empire, the Inca
proceeds to the massive stone walls and zigzagging ramparts of Sacsayhuaman, a
cultural treasure situated on a hilltop outside of town.
With its commanding
view, the ruined fortress remains one of the most astonishing megaliths of the
ancient world - a single rock battlement is estimated to weigh more that 300
tons. On this occasion, the age-old stronghold is again transformed into the
focus of Incan spiritual life.
Dressed in full regalia,
the honorary Inca delivers his orations in Quechua, the native tongue that is
still spoken in Andean highlands. On Sacsayhuaman's broad plaza, a fire is
rekindled and a llama ritually "sacrificed" - staged out of consideration for
tourists. Sounds of panpipes, drums and blaring horns fill the air. Traditional
dancers representing the four corners of the empire dazzle the eye with riotous
flashes of red and gold.
After the Spanish
conquest, Inti Raymi was changed to coincide with the Catholic feast of St.
John the Baptist. The modern re-creation, based on colonial accounts of the
sacred rite, began in the 1940s as a way for Andeans to recapture the spirit
and values of their ancestors. Today, Inti Raymi is one of the largest pageants
in South America, and a source of great cultural pride to Peruvians.
The formal spectacle
lasts just four or five hours, but for an entire week Cusco radiates renewed
life and energy which recalls the glories of its Incan past.
Southwind trips that
include Cusco's Inti Raymi festival: World of the Incas Southern Highlights Tour Inca Trail to Machu Picchu Manu Rainforest Adventure Hiking Salcantay & Beyond Highlands Heritage Tour |
