by D Server

Created on: February 23, 2009   Last Updated: March 18, 2009

The Inti-Raymi, or Festival of the Sun, provides the people of Peru with a great event which honors their history and culture. It is a recreation of an ancient Incan ritual which took place every year at the time of the winter solstice, when the sun reaches its greatest distance from earth. The local people would make an offering that they hoped would convince the sun not to go even further away, which would leave the earth cold and bring on famine. The ceremony was stopped by the conquering Spanish forces in the sixteenth century, but a modern version of it has been played out in the Cusco province since 1944. The knowledge of local scholars, historians and archaeologists are used to make the festival as close to the ancient traditions as possible.

The modern festival begins early on June 24th in front of the Santo Domingo church in Cusco, which was the sight of the ancient Temple of the Sun. There is an invocation performed by the leader of the people, the Sapa Inca (nowadays played by an actor.) Then, with great fanfare, the Sapa Inca is carried by a procession through flower-strewn streets to an ancient fortress in nearby Sacsayhuaman, where most of the huge crowd gathers. It is possible to buy a reserve seat for the show, though many of the spectators just find a spot amidst the cliffs.

After the arrival of the Sapa Inca, the ceremony continues on for at least five hours. The high priests and other members of the official party are in place as the Sapa Inca delivers a speech in a native language, Quechua. With great pagentry, there are traditional songs and dances staged in fancy, historic costumes. Other parts of the ancient ceremony are also performed, including the animal sacrifices of llamas and alpacas. Fortunately for those of us who don't really want to see that, it is just a recreation, though a realistic one.

There is also the lighting of fires, which reenacts the offering to Tawantinsuty, the god of the four wind directions. There is a great deal of smoke produced by these fires. A highlight at the end of the day is when the Priest, the Wupariruj, makes his predictions for the year based on the way the smoke rises over the ceremony.

After the events in Sacsayhuaman have concluded, there is another procession back to Cusco, which, according to the ancient rules, marks the beginning of another year and the start of massive celebrations. The Inti-Raymi Festival is over, at least untul next year, on June 24th.

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