Inti Raymi

Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun, is the most important of the Incan holidays.  Historically, this was such a large part of Incan culture that the early Catholic leaders of the region decided to leave it in place, moving it to June 24th to coincide with the day of John the Baptist.  Today, the festival is a spectacle of color and dance, much of it taking place at Sacsayhuamán, the archeological site on the outskirts of Cusco, and drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors.

The festival actually begins in Cusco in front of the Santo Domingo church, which was constructed over the anicent Koricancha (Temple of the Sun).  After the Inca (or rather, an actor playing the role) calls on the sun's blessings, he is carried on a golden throne into the hills to Sacsayhuamán, accompanied by high priests and officials of the court, all in elaborate costumes.  At the center of the fortress, the Inca mounts the altar, and a white llama is "sacrificed" to ensure the fertility of the earth.  The ceremony closes with dances to honor the Empire of the Four Winds Directions, and the ceremony ends with a procession back to Cusco.