Before the arrival of the Spaniards in Cusco, the Incas worshipped the sun as the chief source of life. The Inca was the child of that sun who was evoked each 22nd of June in a festival called Inti Rayrni, the date of the winter solstioce when the sun is at its farthest point from the equa-tor. Perhaps because of this, so that the earth would not go far away from the god and get lost in the profound dark of the universe, the Incas invoked him every year; In this way, the harvest would be abun-dant and hunger would not ravage the Tawantinsuyo enpire.

In Cusco the only ones who actually lived in the city were the royal family, priests and other influential persons. Only on the 22nd of June were a few ordinary inhabitants, depending on their merits, allowed to enter Cusco and take part in the religious festival celebrated in what today is the Plaza de Armas of Cusco.

On these occasions an average of fifly thousand people gathered there, bearing offerings for the Inca. They all had to have fasted during the previous nine days in order to celebrate during the same number in uninterrupted fiesta.

The Inca gave a great banquet: roast meats and corn loaves. Chicha de Jora (fermented corn drink) ran like rivers of laughter, and 'mate' (infusion) of coca leaves so as neither to get drunk nor fallasleep. In 1572 Viceroy Toledo forbade these celebrations as pagan.

The Inca revived
In 1944 Faustino Espinoza Navarro, founding member the Peruvian Academy of the Quechua tongue, salvaged from the Royal Commentaries of Inca Garcilaso de la Vega (1612) fragments dealing with the ancient Inti Raymi ceremonial and created the firs play based on it.

"I wrote the script for 600 actors, and had the privilege of playing the first Inca, a role I assumed with great pride for 14 years consecutively.", says Faustino Espinoza. The ceremony is actually celebrated on june 24, Day of Cusco and Day of the Indian in all Perú.