Thousands celebrate Incan festival of the sun in Cuzco

At the highest point of the Coricancha temple in Cuzco at dawn, an indigenous actor interpreting a ceremony of the ancient Inca raises his hands to receive the sun’s first rays.

But these are changing times for the ancient Inti Raymi festival, one of the most important Incan religious ceremonies: nearby, a drone flies overhead, recording the staging.

For today’s South American civilizations, June 24 marks the southern hemisphere’s winter solstice. But for the country’s indigenous population it commemorates the beginning of the sun’s journey back to “Pachamama” – the word for “Mother Earth” in Quechua, a language spoken by some 3.2 million Peruvians.

Approximately 80,000 people crowd in and near Cuzco, a southeastern Peruvian city, for the celebration, many clad in vividly colored costumes.

The theatrical representation at the ancient Incan ruins Saksaywaman draws some 3,500 audience members, as locals and tourists observe the reenactment of ancient rites and sacrifices meant to ensure a good harvest.

Actors portraying the Incan emperor and his wife go from Coricancha to Cuzco’s main square, where ancient ruins of the Incan city stand along Baroque churches and palaces built by Spanish conquistadors.

“I feel happy and proud, like every Cuzco resident, to participate,” said Alexander Carbajal, who portrays a soldier of the Inca imperial guard.

The day before the main party, some 250 delegations parade through Cuzco. The actual procession begins the morning of June 23 and lasts until dawn the next day.