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Inti Raymi Travel Information |
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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 Wirracocha 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 a decade the Inti Raymi starts in the square in front of
the Qorikancha,also known as the Santa Domingo in the Avenida del Sol
(see picture). 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 (see
picture next page). 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. |
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Inti Raymi Tours |
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Inti
Raymi Tours - Cusco Information -
Cusco Travel -
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Cusco Info
Inti Raymi Information
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