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The Virgen Asunta festivity is another catholic celebration that takes place in Cusco, in the province of Calca to be precise. This festivity was declared National Cultural Heritage under Vice-ministerial Resolution N° 141-2019-VMPCIC-MC, Mamacha Asunta festivity takes place every year from August 14 to 19.
As is customary, in Mamacha Asunta Festivity, you can see the faithful devotees, visitors, performing in the parades with the best folk dances of the region. Delicious gastronomy is also something that stands out during these days of celebration.
Join us on this exciting tour in Calca!
Location:
Province of Calca is one of the 13 provinces of the department of Cusco. It is located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, between Pisac and Urubamba, at 50 Km from Cusco approximately.
Altitude:
Calca is located at an altitude of 2925 m.a.s.l., surrounded by impressives mountains such as Pitusiray Mountain, which is at an altitude of 4987 m.a.s.l.
Mamacha Asunta Festivity in Calca:
Mamacha Asunta Festivity lasts 6 days. It starts on August 14 and ends on the 19. The main day of the celebration is August 15. In many areas of Cusco, different ceremonies in honor of Virgen Asunta take place. However, the celebration that stands out the most takes place in the province of Calca.
Just like other religious festivities of Cusco, Calca gathers faithful devotees on 25 groups of dancers approximately. They dance with passion and faith. Most of the dancers come from different communities such as: Aqcha Alta, Aqcha Baja, Pampallaqta, Saqllu, Unuraki, and Chimpa Calca.
Each community has a unique characteristic but all of them share the same faith in “Mamacha Asunta of Calca”.
Traditions that take place during Mamacha Asunta Festivity:
Some days prior to the Mamacha Asunta festivity, local people usually settle some stands in the streets where they can sell or trade their products with visitors from the area and from different communities.
Virgen Asunta usually wears a different outfit each day of the festivity.
August 14: First Day
The celebration starts on August 14 with a set of fireworks in the hill called “Pan de Azucar’’. It also includes the entry of uprights with the best calqueña cavalry, brass band and dancing with fancy costumes.
On this day, many visitors come to Calca to spend some days with family or friends while celebrating Mamacha Asunta festivity. If you decide to stay here for 6 days, we recommend booking a hotel in advance or better than that would be to hire the service of a reliable tourist agency which will arrange everything for you to enjoy this celebration to the max.
August 15: Main Day
The main day of the Mamacha Asunta of Calca festivity is on August 15. Many visitors gather together on this occasion. Many masses and dances take place on different hours during this day.
In addition to the activities that take place on this day, Virgen Asunta takes a walk along the main street of Calca followed by its many faithful devotees.
On this day, 25 groups perform different typical folk dances which represent their culture and traditions.
To end the main day, fireworks are set and Virgen Asunta clothes are changed. Virgen Asunta usually wears a white dress which reflects its purity and its assumption.
August 15 to 18: Processions
During these days, Virgen Asunta goes out on many processions in different areas of Calca. On August 16, Virgen Asunta wears a beautiful dress with a pink cloak to reflect her beauty. Next day on August 17, she wears a green dress which means hope while on August 18, she wears a beautiful pearl dress with a sky blue cloak which means protection.
August 19: Farewell
This is the last day together with Mamacha Asunto. A farewell mass takes place followed by a Great parade or Kacharpari in the stadium of Calca with the collaboration of the groups, devotees and visitors.
After 6 days of celebration, visitors, dancers and devotees return to their hometown with the commitment of coming back the following year.
Climate:
Weather in the province of Calca is lovely almost all the year; however, since it is in the department of Cusco, it has two distinct seasons: dry and rainy.
Rainy season: From November to April
During this time Cusco receives a greater amount of rainfall. Average daytime temperatures are higher than the dry season at 18 °C (64 °F) while night temperatures can be as cold as 9 °C (48 °F). In february some tourist sites are closed due to the heavy rains and maintenance of the Inca Trail.
Dry season: From May to October
The weather during this period is predominantly dry, especially in June, July, and August. Days are bright and sunny with a temperature of 16 °C (61 °F) while nights are much colder sometimes with a low temperature of 0 °C (32 °F).
Best season to visit Calca:
The dry season is widely considered the best time to come to Calca. From April To October you won’t experience much rain. This season is excellent to travel to any place in Cusco. You will enjoy the beautiful blue and clear sky. However, since nights and mornings are cold, you need to bring warm clothes such as jackets, beanies or chullos, scarves, gloves, etc.
Temperature of Calca:
Temperature normally varies from 0 °C to 18 °C and very rarely goes down to -2 °C or higher than 21 °C.
How to get to Calca?
Getting to Calca is not complicated. Read the following suggestions for getting there safely:
If you want to arrive in Calca as soon as possible, we recommend taking a minivan on Puputi street, located one block from Inca Garcilaso De La Vega school, in Cusco. It takes 1 hour approximately to arrive in Calca.
Along the road, you will be able to observe some archeological sites such as Qenqo, Tambomachay and Puca Pucara. The stunning landscapes will also marvel your eyes as well as the animals that live in the area.
Once you get to Pisac, you will continue the road along the Vilcanota river until finally arriving in the beautiful province of Calca.
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