CATIE's Andean student community celebrates Inti Raymi

Written by Karla Salazar Leiva

Every winter solstice, Andean countries celebrate Inti Raymi (festival of the sun), a ceremony in honor of Inti, the sun god. This June 23, the celebration was commemorated by the Andean student community of the Graduate School of CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) in Costa Rica.  

The celebration was led by the Andean students and involved all the other students of the CATIE Graduate School, as well as faculty and staff of the institution.  

As part of the celebration, various rites were performed to say Yupaychani (thanks) Pachamama (Mother Earth) for the blessings received, the present moment and the opportunity to share. In addition, several chants in Quechua, typical dances with colorful characters and costumes were performed. 

The Inti Raymi is an Inca tradition, which is maintained as a rite for many indigenous communities of Inca legacy, some of which are settled in Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Argentina, Colombia and Chile.  

Currently, Inti Raymi is celebrated by the population of the Andean countries with the presence of national and foreign visitors, which is why it is considered a ceremony of tourist interest.