The Lord of the Shining Snow
24 images Created 21 Jun 2017
The Lord of the Shining Snow
Qoyllur Riti is a Quechua word that means Shining Snow. The festival attracts around 80,000 pilgrims to the Sinaqara Valley at an altitude of 4600m alongside the great sacred mountain of Sinaqara.
The ritual is associated with the fertility of the earth and with the worship of the mountains or Apus (its main god), and it is only practiced by the inhabitants of the Andes.
The Sanctuary of Qoyllur Riti, is a focal point of the festival. In order to get there, pilgrims walk 8 kilometers and set up a camp. The effects of the altitude, the freezing temperatures at night and the constant music that comes from all angles make it impossible to sleep.
Alongside the pilgrims, ten Nations from various provinces make their way to the festival, wearing colorful costumes and carrying flags that identify them. There are Pabluchas, persons who act as intermediaries between the Lord Qoyllur Riti and the people. They speak in high pitched voices to disguise themselves, carry whips and keep an eye on the celebration.
On the final day, the Pabluchas begin their climb up to the glacier of Sinaqara at midnight where an initiation ceremony takes place. Traditionally the Pabluchas used to return back to the Sinaqara valley with an ice block which they used to purify humanity but the glaciers have been retreating due to global warming and this ceremony is now banned.
In sunrise the groups of Nations walk down from different mountains ridges with their flags to do the great sun greeting. This ceremony is more Inca than Catholic, the various groups line up across the slopes, accompanied by bands of musicians whilst awaiting for the rays of the morning sun to reach them.
This pilgrimage was declared intangible heritage of humanity by UNESCO, and is held in the province of Quispicanchi, in Cusco.
Qoyllur Riti is a Quechua word that means Shining Snow. The festival attracts around 80,000 pilgrims to the Sinaqara Valley at an altitude of 4600m alongside the great sacred mountain of Sinaqara.
The ritual is associated with the fertility of the earth and with the worship of the mountains or Apus (its main god), and it is only practiced by the inhabitants of the Andes.
The Sanctuary of Qoyllur Riti, is a focal point of the festival. In order to get there, pilgrims walk 8 kilometers and set up a camp. The effects of the altitude, the freezing temperatures at night and the constant music that comes from all angles make it impossible to sleep.
Alongside the pilgrims, ten Nations from various provinces make their way to the festival, wearing colorful costumes and carrying flags that identify them. There are Pabluchas, persons who act as intermediaries between the Lord Qoyllur Riti and the people. They speak in high pitched voices to disguise themselves, carry whips and keep an eye on the celebration.
On the final day, the Pabluchas begin their climb up to the glacier of Sinaqara at midnight where an initiation ceremony takes place. Traditionally the Pabluchas used to return back to the Sinaqara valley with an ice block which they used to purify humanity but the glaciers have been retreating due to global warming and this ceremony is now banned.
In sunrise the groups of Nations walk down from different mountains ridges with their flags to do the great sun greeting. This ceremony is more Inca than Catholic, the various groups line up across the slopes, accompanied by bands of musicians whilst awaiting for the rays of the morning sun to reach them.
This pilgrimage was declared intangible heritage of humanity by UNESCO, and is held in the province of Quispicanchi, in Cusco.
