The Inti

Raymi (Quechua for

"sun

festival")[1] is

religious

ceremony of the Inca Empire in honor of the god Inti (Quechua for
"sun"), one of the most venerated deities in Inca religion. It was the
celebration of the winter solstice - the shortest day of the year in
terms of the time between sunrise and sunset and the Inca New
Year. In territories south of the equator the gregorian months of June
and July are winter months.
During the Inca Empire, the Inti Raymi was the most important of
four ceremonies celebrated in Cusco, as related by Inca Garcilaso
de la Vega. The celebration took place in the Haukaypata or the
main plaza in the city.
According

to

chronicler

Garcilaso

de

la

Vega, Sapa

Inca Pachacuti created the Inti Raymi to celebrate the new year in
the Andes of theSouthern Hemisphere. The ceremony was also said
to indicate the mythical origin of the Incas. It lasted for nine days and
was filled with colorful dances and processions, as well as animal
sacrifices to thank Pachamama and to ensure a good cropping
season.The first Inti Raymi was in 1412. The last Inti Raymi with the
Inca Emperor's presence was carried out in 1535, after which
the Spanish and theCatholic priests banned it.
In 1944, a historical reconstruction of the Inti Raymi was directed by
Faustino Espinoza Navarro and indigenous actors. The first
reconstruction was largely based on the chronicles of Garcilaso de
la Vega and only referred to the religious ceremony. Since 1944, a
theatrical representation of the Inti Raymi has been taking place
at Saksaywaman, two kilometers from its original celebration in
central Cusco on June 24 of each year, attracting thousands
of tourists and local visitors.

Inti Raymi is still celebrated in indigenous cultures throughout

the Andes. Celebrations involve music, colorful costumes (most
notable the woven aya huma mask) and the sharing of food. In
many parts of the Andes though, this celebration has been
connected to the western festivals of Saint John the Baptist, which
falls on the day after the northern