article and photo reprinted with permission
by Dimitri Mostrey, www.infoperu.com
Every
year on the 24th of June, Cusco celebrates the festival
of Inti Raymi. This festival was celebrated by the Incas
as the Festival of the Sun where the God of the Sun Wiracocha
is honored. The Inti Raymi symbolizes the eternal consecration
of marriage between the Sun and his sons, the human beings.
Inti Raymi was the most important festival of the Inca
empire Tawantinsuyu which based its religion on the cult
of the Sun. On the 24th of June they celebrate the winter
solstice, in other words the beginning of the Sun's New
Year. Scientifically the solstice begins on the 21st of
June, but according to the Pacha Unachaq, a sundial used
by the Incas, the sun stays some days in the same place
before rising on the 24th of June. This day was proclaimed
by the high priest as the New Year: Inti Raymi!
The inhabitants of Cusco traditionally
involve about everybody, including tourists, to enjoy
and marvel this most special day. Countless additional
events are to be seen before, during and after the 24th.
These are expositions, street and square activities in
daytime and in the evening live concerts given by the
very best of Peru's diverse musical talents, staged in
the Plaza the Armas. This is the second biggest festival
in Latin America, after the carnival of Rio.
Most of the concerts and expositions are
for free and sponsored by the city of Cusco and Peruvian
companies. For more than half a century the festival takes
place at the archeological complex of Sacsayhuamán,
also called the Sacred House of the Sun. More than 200
thousand people come together to witness the most beautiful
spectacle of the year where more than 500 actors proudly
bring the past alive. The highlight of the Inti Raymi
is in the oration given by the Sapa Inca and the high
priest in the original language of the Incas, Quechua.
This ancient language is still spoken in wide areas in
and around Cusco, mainly in the Peruvian highlands.
For some years the Inti Raymi starts in
the square in front of the Qorikancha,also known as the
Santa Domingo in the Avenida del Sol. The Sapa Inca honors,
with an eloquently strong voice, the blessings of the
Sun and this most sacred day. After this initiation the
procession moves with imperial dignity to the fortress
of Sacsayhuamán. At the top the Inca is carried
on a golden throne. The abundant gold and silver worn
by the men and women, respectively, represent their status
as the high society and invokes deep respect for their
fallen empire.
Contact
us to travel to Peru
during Inti Raymi.
