Qoyllurit'i

 

For the traveler in search of deep cultural encounters, Peru offers wonderful destinations to experience its living cultures.  One of these destinations is in a remote area of the Andean Range, where the adventurous traveler can discover the culture and traditions of the Andean people in one of the highest festivals on Earth, Qoyllurit’i—Snow Star in Quechua. This pilgrimage through the Sinakara Valley takes pilgrims to Ausangate Mountain (6350m.a.s.l.). At the foot of the Ausangate, a lonely church opens its doors at the end of May to welcome thousands of pilgrims that walk from faraway places to celebrate Qoyllurit’i.

This celebration began before the arrival of the Europeans, a time when the pilgrims used to gather in Sinakara to worship their gods in gratitude for the water that melts down from the snow peak Apus—sacred mountains.  According to the hearsay, local beliefs mingled with Roman Catholic traditions when a shepherd boy had a vision of Christ around the 17^th century. 

Nowadays, the celebration beckons people from all over the world, which come to enjoy a magical experience of color and sounds shown by artistic demonstrations from many Andean communities. An important event of Qoyllurit’i is when a group of men, the ukukus, climb the glaciers on the Cholquepunku Mountain at dawn, under the moonlight, to retrieve crosses set on top. They return just after sunrise carrying big pieces of ice for the pilgrims in Sinakara, ice that is believed to have medicinal qualities. The ukukus are welcomed with dances and music in a fantastic celebration of life that is performed in desolated but breathtaking mountain scenery.

Recently, the Pilgrimage to the sanctuary of the Lord of Qoyllurit’i has been added to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

 

http://takillakta.org/rcpal/article/546/el-senor-de-las-nieves-en-las-alturas-del-cusco-se-les-rinde-honores-a-los-apus-el-qoylluriti

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qoyllur_Rit'i

http://www.andeantravelperu.com/en/tours_peru_travel_vacations/annual_festivals_cusco_peru/mf_qoylluriti.phphttp://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?lg=en&pg=00011&RL=00567