At any given moment during the pilgrimage, you’ll find yourself surrounded by dancers and musicians whose movements and melodies bring Qoyllur Rit’i to life.
Tens of thousands of people make the yearly pilgrimage to this sacred glacier. The Qoyllur Rit’i pilgrimage takes place yearly before and during winter solstice. Though it’s growing in popularity with tourists, any visitor should prepare themselves for total immersion into a wild and traditional Andean festival. Many people are so busy dancing that they don’t sleep for days.
Origins of the pilgrimage
After centuries of Catholic influence, Qoyllur Rit’i is not the same as it used to be. Pilgrims originally began their yearly visit to the glacier in order to coincide with the Pleiades’ three-week disappearance from the sky. For ancient Andean people, the Pleiades symbolized abundance, which is why the Quechua word for the Pleiades is
Come along with us to Qoyllur Rit’i
This year Q’oyurriti will be taking place from June 15-18th, and we will be making another pilgrimage. Are you interested in coming along? Get ahold of me at scott@voyagewithscott.com to find out more. For now, enjoy this photos from a past celebration.
