June 24th is set to play host to the second largest festival in South America, the Inti Ryami – Festival of the Sun.
Hundreds of thousands of people converge on Cuzco for a week long celebration, marking the beginning of a new year. Every day has its events, from daytime expositions, street fairs, and people milling and dancing in the streets. In the evenings, live music from the best of Peruvian musical groups draws the crowds to the Plaza de Armas for free concerts.
The ceremonial events begin with an invocation by the Sapa Inca in the Qorikancha, in front of the Santo Domingo church, built over the ancient Temple of the Sun. Here, the Sapa Inca calls on the blessings from the sun. Following the oration, Sapa Inca is carried on a golden throne, a replica of the original which weighed about 60 kilos, in a procession to the ancient fortress of Sacsayhuamán, in the hills above Cuzco. The procession continues along flower-bedecked streets. At Sacsayhuamán, huge crowds await the arrival of the procession, and Sapa Inca climbs to the sacred altar to make his speech. As the sun begins to set, stacks of straw are set on fire and the celebrants dance around them and the ceremony ends with a procession back to Cuzco.
Many years ago, before the colonial Spaniards banned the ceremonial events occurring each Winter Solstice in Cuzco, the native residents gathered to honour the Sun God, sacrifice an animal to ensure good crops and to pay homage to the Inca, as the first born Son of the Sun.
The ceremonies took place at the winter solstice, when the sun is the furthest away from the earth. Fearing the lack of sun and ensuing famine, the ancient Incas gathered in Cuzco to honour the Sun God and plead for his return. The celebrants fasted for days before the event, refrained from physical pleasures and presented gifts to the Inca, who in return put on a lavish banquet of meat, corn bread, chicha and coca tea as they prepared to sacrifice llamas to ensure good crops and fertile fields. It was in 1572 that Viceroy Toledo banned the Inti Raymi celebrations as pagan and contrary to the Catholic faith. Following this the ceremonies went underground.
Today the festival attracts visitors from all over the world. The local people walk along flower-bedecked streets, to music and prayers and dancing. Women sweep the streets to clear them of evil spirits. At Sacsayhuamán , where huge crowds await the arrival of the procession, Sapa Inca climbs to the sacred altar where all can see him. Once all the celebrants are in place in the grand square of the fortress, there are speeches by Sapa Inca, the priests and representatives of the Suyos: the Snake for the world below, the Puma for life on earth, and the Condor for the upper world of the gods. A white llama is sacrificed and the high priest holds aloft the bloody heart in honor of Pachamama. This is done to ensure the fertility of the earth which in combination with light and warmth from the sun provides a bountiful crop. The priests reads the blood stains to see the future for the Inca.
As the sun begins to set, stacks of straw are set on fire and the celebrants dance around them to honour Tawantinsuty or the Empire of the Four Wind Directions. The ceremony of Inti Raymi ends with a procession back to Cuzco. Sapa Inca and Mama Occla are carried on their thrones, the high priests and representatives of the Supas pronounce blessings on the people. Once again, a new year has begun.
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