PAUCARTAMBO

PAUCARTAMBO
Festival
Cuzco
Colombia
Ecuador
Brazil
Pacific
Ocean
Lima
Cuzco
Bolivia
Lake
Titicaca
Chile
Mylene D’Auriol
In the month of July the province of
Paucartambo once again renews its
religious faith, joyfulness and hope for a
better tomorrow under the celestial
protection of Our Lady of Mount Carmel,
the patroness of the province. The first
celebrations in honor of “Mamacha
Carmen” took place in 1662, with the
arrival of Spanish religious orders. Initially,
the celebrations were organized by the
so-called “mistis” and then by local
people, until over time dance groups
developed that were based upon Spanish
and indigenous customs.
There exist many versions telling of how
the Virgin first appeared, but one version
enjoys the widest acceptance: In the 16th
century, the Spanish Crown sent two
images of Our Lady of Mount Carmel to
Peru; one for the Paucartambo district,
and the other for Puno. The largest and
most beautiful statue arrived at the former,
producing considerable discontent among
the people of Puno. During the coming
years, with great faith and affection the
people of the old region of Antisuyo
celebrated the arrival with religious
ceremonies, songs and dancing, meaning
that each year the faithful of Puno visited
Paucartambo, bringing with them on their
caravans of llamas offerings for Mamacha
Carmen.
The Patroness of Paucartambo measures
1.30 meters in height and weighs 26
pounds, while the image of the Christ
Child weighs 1 pound. Together with the
scepter, crown and vestments, the total
weight is 57 pounds. For the festivities,
Mylene D’Auriol
the distinguished women of Paucartambo
select the finest attire from the beautiful
and colorful clothing donated by the
faithful. These items are richly
embroidered with gold thread and
precious stones in the cape, scapular and
tunic, which are extremely expensive to
produce and very valuable. On July 15 the
image of the Virgin is finely dressed and
set upon her litter, adorned with delicate
tulle, angels and flowers.
Every year the central figure of the
festivities is the Prioste, who is responsible
for organizing the worship and
celebrations, with the help of family
members and friends, as well as the
Provincial Municipality and religious
Mylene D’Auriol
Dancer
Mamacha Carmén
institutions. Currently, 14 folkloric dance
groups participate, and each one is
hosted by a “carguyoc” who finances and
takes care of the dancers during each day
of the festivities, in accordance with the
traditions and customs that have been
passed down for approximately 400
years. The Prioste and the carguyocs
assume their commitments voluntarily and
as a sign of their devotion to the Virgin.
The sense of faith is so strong that it is
passed on from one generation to the next,
and those people of Paucartambo who
participate in the folkloric dances, as well as
those who come to witness the celebrations,
do so because they identify fully with the
significance of their Mamacha Carmen.
LA CANDELARIA
Festival
Puno
Colombia
Ecuador
Brazil
Pacific
Ocean
Lima
Bolivia
Lake
Titicaca
Puno
Chile
Mylene D’Auriol
The most important folkloric
event in the Puno region is
without a doubt the festivity
devoted to honoring the Virgin of
Candelaria. Her fiesta is the most
spectacular in the country, with
its admirable combination of
Spanish and indigenous
traditions expressed in religious,
cultural and folkloric lavishness
making it one of the most
impressive traditional
celebrations found not just in
Peru, but anywhere in Latin
America or the rest of the world.
The main festivity takes place on
the first Sunday of February,
while the eighth day of the fiesta
of the Virgin is celebrated on the
second Sunday in February.
The festivities in honor of the
Virgin are divided into two
stages:
The main fiesta is held on the
first Sunday of February, and the
eighth day of the festivities
honoring the Virgin is held on the
second Sunday in February.
SECOND SUNDAY
IN FEBRUARY:
On this day the indigenous dance
competition is held in which almost fifty
dance groups perform a folkloric
demonstration in the local “Enrique Torres
Belón” Stadium, in the city of Puno. To
mark this occasion, the populations of
Quechua and Aymara communities travel
great distances to the city, where they pay
homage to the Virgin of Candelaria,
expressing their devotion with a great
variety of typical dances characterized by
their liturgical nature and performed to the
languid and sometimes melancholy music
played on traditional wind and percussion
instruments.
The festival to mark the eighth day of the
fiesta in honor of the Virgin of Candelaria
begins during the morning with a dance
competition in which the competitors wear
elaborate and colorful costumes
decorated with shimmering sequins. The
competition is held in the “Enrique Torres
Belón” Stadium, with approximately 70
dance groups composed of between 150
and 1000 individuals in each group, with
the groups divided into different
categories. Among the most elaborate
dances are: Morenadas, Diabladas,
Sayas, Cullahuadas, Wacawacas, Sicuris,
Tinkus and Kallawayas. It is interesting to
note how the majority of the dances are
presented to the accompaniment of more
than two bands of musicians.
After midday, once again the streets of
Puno will be filled with a procession in
honor of the Virgin of Candelaria, with the
image of the Virgin accompanied by local
leaders and crowds of the faithful, and
followed by the different dance groups,
who perform to express their devotion to
the Virgin.
Mylene D’Auriol
FIRST SUNDAY
IN FEBRUARY:
Dancers
In the late afternoon the celebrations on
the eve of the eighth day of the fiesta
begin with the candlelit procession in
which hundreds of Christian faithful take
part. After this, the Kapos of the different
communities of Puno enter the
procession, and the evening in honor of
the Virgin ends with a firework display and
the presence of the dance groups from
the different urban districts of Puno.
Mylene D’Auriol
SECOND SATURDAY
IN FEBRUARY:
Musician
SECOND MONDAY
IN FEBRUARY:
The route taken by the dancers covers
about four kilometers, and it is a
spectacular procession, with the many
colors and ceaseless movement of the
dance groups forming what resembles a
great woven carpet of sound and motion,
as they make their way through the
streets. All the dance groups present their
individual choreography during the
procession, in a predetermined order, and
the procession continues until late into the
night
Ballerina
Mylene D’Auriol
The veneration of the Virgin of Candelaria
continues with the Great Folkloric Parade
through the main streets of the city, where
the procession of different dance groups
will perform with great faith and devotion in
honor of the Virgin, while presenting her
with floral offerings.
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