The Inti Raymi Festival

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See the colourful "Festival for the Sun"!

Since the Incas venerate the Sun God, Inti, they have dedicated many ceremonies to his worshipping.

The Inti Raymi is one of the most original and colourful festivals on Earth, can be spectacular to see it.

If you want to see locals dressed up in traditional Inca dresses, performing various acts, then you will have to be in Sacsayhuamán on June 24th, when it is held every year.

Another variant of this ritual is held at Moray and is called "Moray Raymi".

What is the Inti Raymi?

A ceremony that marks the beginning of the new year (according to ancient Inca calculations) and is dedicated to the veneration of the Sun God, Inti.

Today, the Inti Raymi includes ceremonial dances, but in ancient times, the Incas also performed animal sacrifices.

The Inti Raymi and Moray Raymi events are only reconstitutions of the ancient ceremonies, which were banned by the Spaniards in the 1500s due to their non-Catholic nature (were considered pagan rituals).

Chronicle writer Garcilaso de la Vega has left behind very good descriptions about how the rituals were performed back then.

What you see today is not the exact same Inti Raymi that was performed 500 years ago. Many of the clothes and ornaments worn by the locals are approximate reconstructions, often do not reflect the original looks of those worn 500 years ago. However, these replicas are almost exact, so they're traditional.

If you want to see colour and joy in Peru, then you'll have to travel at the time of the Inti Raymi ceremonies!

Some of the most beautiful photos that can be taken in Peru are those of this colourful festival in Cuzco and Sacsayhuamán.