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Inti Raymi
Ecuador:
Festival of the
Inca Sun God
! Jon Jared " May 3, 2020
# Ecuador, Ecuador traditions

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Similar to many ancient civilisations, the

Incas placed great importance on the sun
and moon. Solstice and Equinox dates
were recognised as being very significant
each year, none more so than Inti Raymi
the summer solstice. Today in Ecuador
these sacred dates are still celebrated with
colorful festivals. This is particullarly true in
indigenous communities, and tourist
visitors are usually welcome to join in the
fun! Inti Raymi, the festival of the sun
celebrated on summer solstice, is the most
well known festival in the annual
indigenous calender. This is a wonderful
opportunity to learn about Ecuador indian
culture and traditions, meet the locals, or
enjoy a homestay in an indigenous
community.

Read on to learn more about Inti Raymi in

Ecuador. Where are the best places in
Ecuador to see Inti Raymi festivities? How
do Ecuadorians celebrate Inti Raymi?
Which other dates and festivals are
important in the indigeound calender?

What Is Inti Raymi?

The word Inti Raymi comes from the

Quechua language of the Incas, Inti
meaning Sun, and Raymi meaning Festival
or Celebration. It is a celebration to honor
Taita Inti (Father Sun). We thank him for
the heat and energy that allows plants to
grow, and we welcome a new cycle of life
for Pacha Mama (Mother Earth).

Inti Raymi is considered the most important

of the four sacred festivals (Raymi)
celebrated by indigenous Andean cultures.
It is held in late June, on the same date as
the Pagan celebration of the Summer
Solstice. This marks the longest day of the
year, when the sun traces it’s longest path
through the sky.

In Ecuador, Inti Raymi is also known as the

Fiesta of San Juan. The Spanish
conquistadores considered Inti Raymi to be
a heathen celebration. So, to make it more
palatable, they merged it with the Christian
celebration for Saint John (Juan) the
Baptist.

Photo taken from : El Diario

Where Are The Best Places To

Celebrate Inti Raymi In Ecuador?

Celebrations take place across most

Ecuadorian Indigenous towns and villages.
Festivities often last one or two weeks with
different events taking place. Wherever you
choose to experience Inti Raymi in
Ecuador, you will be able to share the
immense pride that indigenous feel for their
heritage and culture.

Here are a few of our top picks for unique

places to experience Inti Raymi in Ecuador:

Otavalo &
Peguche
In Otavalo the celebrations begin with a
midnight ritual cleansing at sacred
Peguche Waterfall. A street parade then
traces it way through town to the central
Plaza de Ponchos. Live music and dancing
continue throughout the day, and many
smaller celebrations spring up in
surrounding communities. This is a
celebration of joy and gratitude to mother
nature.

Photo taken from: Otavalo Travel

Cotacachi
Similar traditions take place at Cotacachi
town, in the northern Andes. First a ritual
bath at Cuicocha Crater lake, and then with
a week of colorful and lively celebrations in
the streets. Cotacachi is home to a thriving
ex-pat community, so this becomes quite a
multi-cultural celebration with all invited. A
particularly important event is the taking of
the square (toma de la plaza). This is a
symbolic taking back of the land that was
once theirs, involving dances around the
four corners of the main park in Cotacachi.

For a truly unique Ecuador Inti Raymi

experience, why not try a community
homestay at Tambo Jatarishun? This
community is close to Cotacachi, and local
familes are very welcoming to tourists. You
will be treated like family, and the
celebrations are great fun! Happy Gringo
will be happy to help you organise an
Ecuador Inti Raymi homestay experience.

Cochasqui
The Cochasqui Tolas (Pyramids) are a
fascinating pre-incan archeaological site.
Located between Quito and Otavalo, they
were built by the Cara and/or Caranqui
people. Investigations suggest that one of
the pyramids was used as a solar calendar.
Carefully placed stones cast shadows on
the solstice dates, indicating the best times
to plant and to harvest. Here, ancestral Inti
Raymi celebrations form a circular harvest
offering of plants and foods, around which
community groups dance and give thanks
to Pacha Mama (Mother Nature).

Photo taken from : El Comercio

Ingapirca
The ruins of Ingapirca, north from Cuenca
City, are the best preserved Incan Ruins in
Ecuador. This is one of the best places in
the country to join in with Inti Raymi
celebrations. Hundreds of local indigenous
congregate for folkloric dancing, traditional
gastronomy, and Andean Music. The main
focus of celebration, of course, takes place
in the Incan Temple of the Sun.

Photo taken from: Cuenca Highlights

Saraguro
In the south of Ecuador, between Cuenca
and Loja cities, Saraguro is another
interesting place to celebrate Inti Raymi.
The Saraguro people are intensely proud of
their heritage. Their ancestors were from
the inner circle of Inca leader Huayna
Capac, and brought to Ecuador by the
Incas from southern Peru and Bolivia to
start a new Inca colony. Thanks to this
history, the Saraguros take the Inti Raymi
Festival very seriously, making it a great
spot for a very authentic celebration. Few
tourists visit Saraguro, it is an off the
beaten path destination.

Photo taken from: Proyecciones Saraguro

How Is Inti Raymi Celebrated In

Ecuador?

Ritual Bathing
Inti Raymi begins with ritual bathing (Armay
Chisi), to spiritually cleanse and purify,
eliminate negative energies, and renew
one’s connection to Pacha Mama.
Indigenous people flock to local springs,
rivers or waterfalls together at midnight, to
strip down and bathe in the cold waters.

Photo taken from: Inty Raymi

Inti Raymi Music &

Dance
No Ecuadorian Festival would be complete
without a big party, and the indigenous
people certainly know how to throw a good
one! Local musicians play songs in Kichwa
throughout the day, and everyone is
encouraged to join the dance. Fortunately
dance moves are an easy mix of stomping
feet on the ground to get the attention of
Pacha Mama, while whirling around. The
dance is led by a colorful character known
as Aya Uma, the spirit of the mountain.
This role is played by an important member
of the community, and is usually the life
and soul of the party. Aya Uma is easy to
recognise by his mask with two faces,
representing the duality of day and night,
and the hanging fabric snakes which
represent Wisdom to Andean cultures.
Parties often go on into the small hours,
and involve strong, locally made alcohol.
Tourists are often pulled into the throng of
dancers, and the old adage “if you can’t
beat them, then join them” definitely applies
here.

Photo taken from : Youtube

Traditional Food
Inti Raymi is at it’s roots a celebration of
harvest and abundance, so naturally food
plays an important role in celebrations. A
community Pampamesa (meaning: Food
for All) is often prepared. A long strip of
fabric or ponchos are laid on the ground,
and covered with staple foods of corn,
potatoes and pork. There is also a plentiful
supply of Chicha – a local moonshine
made from fermented corn. The
Pampamesa is a communal experience.
Everybody contributes food, and all are
welcome to join the table and eat. People
eat with their hands, and are seated on the
floor for a closer connection to Mother
Nature.

Photo taken from: Twitter

Inti Raymi
Ancestral Dress
Ecuadorian indigenous people are very
proud of their clothing traditions. Each
community and area of the country uses
their own uniquely colored fabrics and hats.
The men often wear chaps made from
sheep hides, a Spanish tradition from the
time when Haciendas dominated the land.
Today they are used to show that it is the
indigenous who once again control the
land. Indigenous women wear colorful
flowing dresses that swirl around as they
dance, and attractive jewellery.

Photo taken from : La hora twitter

Other Indigenous Festivals In

Ecuador

It will come as no surprise to learn that

similar festivals take place for the Winter
Solstice (Kapak Raymi), the Spring
Equinox (Pawkar Raymi), and the Fall
Equinox (Killa Raymi). All of these
important dates based on movements of
the sun were recognised by the Incas and
other Pre-Incan civilizations.

Pawkar Raymi
Festival
Pawkar Raymi means the Fiesta of the
Flowering (of the crops, like Harvest
Festival in other societies). It’s a time to
give thanks to Pacha Mama for her bounty,
where the Andean harvest typically begins
in the month of March, after the rainy winter
months. Pawkar Raymi shares it’s
celebration with Carnaval, and the Fiesta of
Fruits & Flowers in Ambato City, also linked
to harvest activities.

Pawkar Raymi celebrations begin with

ritual purification, where it’s believed that
single women who enter the waters will be
blessed by Pacha Mama, making them
fertile and granting the ability to give life.
The parties that follow form vibrant scenes
of dancing and merriment, and include
Jucho, a fruit drink, served hot or cold,
made from Capulí (capulin cherry).

Photo taken from : Spot live

Kapak Raymi
Festival
Kapak Raymi, the Winter Solstice, is a time
of transformation, from seed to plant after
the start of the rains, and from child to
adult. The celebrations often involve
community rites of passage for young men,
who prove themselves in games of
strength, and demonstrate the knowledge
that they have aquired thus far in their
lives.

Photo taken from: Wikipedia

Ki!a Raymi
Festival
Killa Raymi in September is the feminine
Festival of the Moon, and celebrates a time
for ploughing the fields and sowing seed
before the onset of the rains. It is also
known as the Festival of the Corn,
symbolising the fertility of Pacha Mama.

In conclusion, Inti Raymi in Ecuador is the

most important indigenous festival. This
festival is a wonderful opportunity for
tourists to visit indian communities and
learn about indian culture. Celebrations
include interesting rituals, local food, and
lively street parties. Locals dress up in
traditional dress, and local moonshine
alcohol flows. This is definitely an Ecuador
experience that you don’t want to mix!

If you are interested in these unique

experience, then contact a member of our
team, We will be more than happy to
prepare a Custom made tour for you, to
join in with indigenous celebrations

NEED HELP PLANNING YOUR

ECUADOR VACATION ?

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Jon Jared
Jon Jared 8rst experienced the
itch for travel during summer
trips with his grandparents to
England, Scotland, and Wales.
After visiting Zambia and
traversing the mountain towns of
Colorado, he moved to Ecuador
in search of a new understanding
of the world around him. In
Ecuador, Jon has worked at
hotels, restaurants, and bars;
served as a local guide, and a
freelance writer and editor. His
work in print includes Delta Sky
Magazine and the 2015 Moon
Ecuador and the Galapagos
guidebook.

Happy Gringo is an Anglo-Dutch owned travel company run by

passionate travelers for like-minded clients.

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