Every June 24, the Sun God is the protagonist of one of the most important and traditional festivities celebrated in Peru: The Inti Raymi or “Sun Festival”. During this date, thousands of national and foreign tourists walk the streets of the historic center of Cusco and congregate on the esplanades of its main sites to experience a special day of cultural activities whose purpose is to revalue the Inca legacy.
There are more than 800 people, including actors, dancers, and musicians who – dressed in typical clothing – star in a series of scenes that include dances, performances and praises performed outside the temple of Qorikancha and the Sacsayhuamán Archaeological Park, as well as in the Main Square of the city.
The beginning of a new Inca year
The Inti Raymi was established by the Inca Pachacutec in the decade of 1430 AD. and was celebrated every year during the winter solstice of the southern hemisphere -the day when the Sun was farthest from the Earth-. It was the most important ancestral festivity of the Tahuantinsuyo, which the inhabitants of the four suyos used to attend. The celebration was last attended by the Inca in 1535.
Today, the tradition is maintained as a theatrical performance charged with mysticism and spirituality. The celebration route begins at Qorikancha, the ancient religious center of the Inca capital , where with dances and songs an offering is made to the Apu Inti or Sun God.
Once the first act is finished in the esplanade of the Qorikancha or Temple of the Sun, the attendees go to the Main Square to witness the continuation of the ceremony. It is said that in this place, known as Haukaypata in the Inca times, where the most important people of the empire used to gather during the night before the celebration to await the appearance of Apu Inti. With silence and with great respect they awaited the dawn, and when the star ascended between the mountains, the villagers gave thanks for the prosperous harvests of the year.
The extensive field of the esplanade of Sacsayhuamán is the site of the third and last act: the most important of the day, which lasts approximately two hours. Here, the Inca and his entourage arrive to pay their respects and admiration to the Sun. The Inca recites a prayer in the Quechua language and simulates the sacrifice of a camelid so that a shaman can predict the prosperity and well-being of the coming year.
In 1572, the Inti Raymi was prohibited by the Spanish viceroy Francisco de Toledo for considering it a pagan ceremony and contrary to the Catholic faith, although it continued to be celebrated clandestinely. In 1944, Faustino Espinoza Navarro promoted the recovery of this traditional event and carried out a historical reconstruction. Since that date, the festival has become public again and attracts thousands of tourists every year.
The triumphant return of the Sun in the shortest day and in the longest night renews nature and is a cause for rejoicing and celebration. The Inti Raymi is not an exclusive celebration of Cusco, as most Andean populations continue to present their offerings every June 24 in countries such as Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, northern Argentina and Colombia. On this date is also celebrated the anniversary of Cusco, in which the city is wrapped in an atmosphere of celebration and fun that you should attend.
On March 3, 2001, the Inti Raymi was declared Cultural Patrimony of the Nation. Its organization and production is now in charge of the Municipal Company of Celebrations of Cusco (EMUFEC).