CULTURAL MAGAZINE

CULTURAL MAGAZINE
SUN AND HARVEST FESTIVAL…!
INTI RAYMI´S HYSTORY
WAYS TO THINK
PARTY
.
So you´re planning your next holiday.
. It´s been a fraught and busy year; you´ve thought it over and
decided that even though the money´s tight, you deserve to
spoil yourself a bit.

In this delicious frame of mind,
the last thing in the world any of
us wants is to have our dream
planning interrupter by some
squeaky, small voice of conscience
whispering:
What about the environment? what about human rights? What about the poverty? Don´t
you care that you might be making things worse by going there?
In truth, you probably do care. But, you rationalize, there´s nothing you personally can
do about any of that stuff, and staying away won´t stop anyone else from going, so you
might as well go anyway. That´s where Tourism Concern can make the difference. For a
decade it has pursued two big
aims: Firstly, to get the tourism
industry to recognize that it is
creating serious problems and
should be doing something
about them; and secondly, to tap
into tourism´s huge potential in
order to spread its benefits far
more even handedly.
Throughout the Ecuadorian
Andes, different indigenous
communities have their own
take on Inti Raymi, also known
in Ecuador as San Pedro.
Many indigenous communities go to sacred springs, rivers and waterfalls to carry out a
purification ritual. In the Andean belief system, this ritual allows for the recuperation of
energy and revitalization of the relationship with mother earth. Inti Raymi is a
combination of shamanic ceremony and all night party, in Ecuador it resembles a village
fete and in Peru, Inti Raymi has become a spectacle of costume and dance. Despite its
various manifestations, at the heart of Inti Raymi is a celebration of the relationship
between the sun and earth and a centuries old ritual to mark the change in seasons.
Inti Raymi occurs on June 21-24 – the winter solstice, and the time when the sun is
furthest 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. 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 the
Inca Empire spread, so did Inti Raymi,
merging with local beliefs of the Andean
people. In modern times, Inti Raymi still has
special significance for Andean people from
Ecuador to Argentina. (Brunkner, 2012)
In the article Inti Raymi (Peru, 2016) says:
The "Inti Raymi" or "Fiesta del Sol" was the biggest, most important,
spectacular and magnificent feast carried out at the time of the Tahuantinsuyo
Empire, which based its religion on the cult of the Sun festival. The Inti Raymi
was made to worship the "Apu Inti" (Sun God) also known in some quarters as
"Apu P'unchau" (God Day). The subjects of the Inca continued celebrating the
feast hidden from the Spanish authorities, and a mongrel named Garcilaso de la
Vega collected in his famous Royal Commentaries, descriptions of this unique
and incomparable party.
The subjects of the Inca continued celebrating the feast hidden from the Spanish
authorities, and a mongrel named Garcilaso de la Vega collected in his famous Royal
Commentaries, descriptions of this unique and incomparable party.´’
One feature of Inti Raymi celebrations in Ecuador is the Aya
Uma. This is a mythological character wearing a mask with
two faces representing night and day. The
Aya Uma is considered the spirit of the
mountain, coming down to the villages to
participate in the celebrations. Dancers go
around in circles, representing the two
equinoxes, stamping their feet to invite
Pachamama (mother earth) to participate
In mountain communities of Cayambe, Otovalo and Tunguragua,
festivities can include sports competitions, running of the bulls and
workshops about the environment, the whole thing lasting up to a
month. Further south at Ingapirca, Ecuadors largest Inca site, Inti

Raymi is marked by a sombre and ceremony bringing together Inca traditions and the
local Canari culture. Dressed in white to represent peace, the Taita Roque Ochoa gives
offerings to give thanks to
mother earth, all followed by plenty of traditional dancing and eating.
References
Becker, M. (2012). The Limits of Indigenismo in Ecuador. SAGE, 39, 45-62.
Brunkner, K. (10 de April de 2012). Into Latin America. Obtenido de
http://www.intolatinamerica.com/news/what-is-inti-raymi/
Mann, M. (2013). The Community Tourism Guide; Excitings Holidays for Responsible
Travellers. ROUTLEDGE Taylor & Francis Group, 208.
Peru, C. (2016). Cusco Peru. Obtenido de
https://www.cuscoperu.com/en/festivitiesevents/may-june/inti-raymi
Created By.
Agualongo Juan
Almachi Patricia
Guevara Gabriel
Tonato Miguel
Thank You Mother Earth