Inti Raymi - Festival of the Sun

The Inti Raymi Festival of the Sun in Peru

It makes perfect sense to worship the sun, After all, what is the true source of life giving energy on this planet, but, the sun? It helps plants grow, like the hundreds of different types of nourishing Andean potatoes. Sun nourished green, leafy life forms give us air to breathe and feed grazing animals like llamas, which are perhaps the coolest creatures on the planet. 

That many cultures actively praise this life giving behemoth of scorching gas is a testament to the undiluted awe our ancestors felt upon seeing the sun. The Incans were sun masters as they built their temples ever closer to the sun, and their festivals are a lasting tribute to that fireball in the sky.

The name of this is from Quechua “Inti” “Sun”, “Raymi”  “Festival”, the Inti Raymi (festival of the sun) was a religious ceremony of the Inca Empire, dedicated to the divinity Sun, one of the most venerated gods in Inca religion. It was the festivity of the Winter Solstice and the Inca New Year.

During the Empire of Incas, the Inti Raymi was the most significant of four rites feasted in Qosqo. The ceremony was also said to show the mythical descent of the Incas. It was crowded with colorific dances and processions, as well as animal sacrifices to thank Pachamama and to ensure a good cropping season.

In 1944, a historical reconstruction of the Inti Raymi was directed by Faustino Espinoza Navarro and indigenous actors. The first reconstruction was largely based on the chronicles of Garcilaso de la Vega and only referred to the religious ceremony. Since 1944, a theatrical representation of this festivity has been taking place at Sacsayhuamán, two kilometers from its original celebration in central Cusco) on June 24 of each year, attracting thousands of tourists and local visitors.

A weeklong celebration begins prior to the new year festivities with concerts and street fairs. This part is less about tradition and more focused on fun. Lose yourself in song and dance at Cuzco’s Plaza de Armas while sampling local Peruvian cuisine and just generally absorbing the good times.

Read more about this special tour for you Inti Raymi Festival, this included visit Machu Picchu.

by Salkantay Trek