Inti Raymi Celebration in Ecuador

PESILLO, ECUADOR - JUNE 26: A man dancer, wearing a colorful masque, performs Aya Uma - the creature from the Indian myths, during the Inti Raymi fiesta in the village of Pesillo, Ecuador, 26 June 2010. Inti Raymi, “Festival of the Sun” in Quechua language, is an ancient spiritual ceremony held in the Indian regions of the Andes, mainly in Ecuador and Peru. The lively celebration, set by the winter solstice, goes on for various days. The highland Indians, wearing beautiful costumes, dance, drink and sing with no rest. Colorful processions in honor of the God Inti (Sun) pass through the mountain villages giving thanks for the harvest and expressing their deep relation to the Mother Earth (Pachamama). (Photo by Jan Sochor/Latincontent/Getty Images)