Description
Experience the Festival of the Señor of Qoyllur Rit’i in Cusco
The Señor of Qoyllur Rit’i (which means “Star of the Snow” in Quechua) is, physically, an image of the crucified Christ painted on a massive rock located at the base of the Colquepunku snow-capped peak, in the Ausangate mountain range (at over 4,800 m.a.s.l. / 15,748 ft).
For the Catholic faith, it is a miraculous apparition of Jesus dating back to the late 18th century (legend has it that the baby Jesus appeared to an Andean shepherd boy named Marianito Mayta). However, for the Andean worldview, this image represents a profound religious syncretism: worshipping this Christ is, at the same time, paying homage to the Apus (the tutelary spirits of the mountains) and asking the Pachamama (Mother Earth) for fertility, water, and protection for the crops and livestock.
