Peru is one of the Latin American states located on the Pacific Northwest coast of South America. It was on its territory that the capital of one of the most powerful states of the native Indians, the Inca Empire, was located. The annual Indian Day in Peru is an attempt to preserve the cultural traditions that have remained from those times.
The Inca Empire existed from the 11th to the 16th century AD and included in whole or in part the territories of the present South American states of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina and Colombia. The supreme deity worshiped by the Incas is the Sun (Inti), the progenitor of life. Sacrifices and prayers were brought to him, holidays were arranged in his honor. One of them, Inti Raimi ("Festival of the Sun"), was celebrated on the day of the winter solstice, which falls here around June 24 according to our calendar. Three days before this event, people from all over the empire gathered in the capital, the city of Cuzco on the territory of present-day Peru. The modern government of the state is trying to maintain traditions, so an annual festival is scheduled for June 24 here, which is now more often called the "Day of the Indians".
In the ancient empire, people wore the best clothes on this holiday, military officers carried the best weapons to the capital, officials wore ceremonial suits. Of course, too much has changed since then, but the real festive clothes and decorations of the Indians can be seen at this festival.
The beginning of the Inti Raimi holiday was preceded by two days of preparation, during which it was ordered to observe fasting, not to light any fire. On a festive day, sacrifices were made to the sun, which was attended by the supreme ruler of the empire, Sapa Inca, who was considered a direct descendant of the deity. Of course, a modern festival dispenses with sacrifices and fasting, and the role of the first person of the state is played by an actor. Then, according to ancient traditions, a feast began, and nine days were allotted for all celebrations. Today these days are filled with folklore performances by Indians of different tribes. The festival annually brings together thousands of participants from Latin America and tourists to the city of Cuzco.
