Oruro Carnival - Bolivia

The Carnival in Oruro originates in the Andean ancestral invocations to Pachamama (mother land), to Tio Supay (Satan Uncle) and to the Candelaria Virgin. This year the carnival is carried out the 12, 13 and 14 of February.
The Oruro Carnival is unique in the world by its religious sense. It begins 40 days before Easter, with first test (convite) in devotion to the Virgen del Socavón, in which all the participant groups visit the temple where it takes place the ceremony of permission and promise. From that act others activities begin: El Calvario, the Evenings of the Virgin and the trials of the dancers. One week before the Carnival is made the second test (convite), with the concentration of all the participant groups. The Friday is dedicated in traditional Convite del "Tío" and the “Challa” of the mining places is made.
Saturday the marvelous entered of the Carnival takes place in which the folkloric groups perform their spectacular choreographic demonstrations dedicated to the Virgin.
Its deeps spirituality and magnetism has been built up along five great periods.

First Period:

Since the arrival of the Spaniards, all along the colonial period until the appearance of Candelaria Virgin in 1789 and its later discovery in a cave of "Pie de Gallo" mountain. This place was inhabited by Anselmo Delarmino, the "Nina Nina", who in his agony confessed himself as being a thief and devote.

Second Period: (1.789 - 1.900)

After almost a century, the miners gathered at the conjure of the discovery of the Virgin, decide to worship it on three days a year, since saturday carnival; wearing devil-like get-ups and at the beat of enchanting music that nobody knows who composed it. It is neither known who painted the fresco of the Virgin.

Third Period: (1.900 - 1.940)

This period characterizes for the Entrance of the Loadings and fancy candles. The first devotional dancing groups appear, such as that of the devils, black foremen and tobas (wilderness savages) who concentrate at the "La Rancheria" small square, to afterwards, head off along La Paz and Cochabamba streets as far as the old chapel of Socavon.
The first devils belonged to the matarifes (butchers) trade. The morenos were the cocaleaf sellers. The candle makers would make up the groups of th Inkas. The so called "carreritos" (cart-hauters) would group up in the toba dancing groups.
They would accompany themselves with quenas (wind instruments), pinkillos (thin wind instruments), drums and bass drums.
Skilful santeers and mask makers would start to a growing family of handicraftmen. In this period, nor children or women wouldn´t participate.

Fourth Period: (1.940 - 1.980)

Leaving prejudices off, the clerks of commerce, banking, teachers and even military men would join the Carnival. The so-called pijes (elegant people, well-doing people) or ck´arcas, set off the future paths of the original Entrance of Carnival of Oruro.
In 1.963, the Committee of Defense of the Folkloric Groups, meanwhile in the theaters, the original telling of the Devil dancing group, with a basis on a version, -The struggle of Good and Bad- of the writer Rafael Ulises Pelaez.
In 1.970, the government declared Oruro the Folkloric Bolivian Capital. Other dancing groups emerge such as the Caporales (dandy foremen) with the inroading of youth and women as the leading performers of Carnival.

Fifth Period:

Since the 80´s until nowadays, the highest splendour of the Carnival of Oruro with the active participation of women and the full display of the youth beauty.
In 1.995, the state acknowledge the Entrance as a Cultural, Traditional, Artistic and Folkloric Patrimony. Just recently, UNESCO acknowledged the Carnival of Oruro the Intangible Cultural Patrimony of Humanity.

How to get to Oruro

According to its geographic location and the railway and road network, Oruro has become in center of distribution for the terrestrial transport services for the different regions from Bolivia and in addition to accede to Chile and Argentina. From La Paz several companies of terrestrial transport exist that cover the route towards Oruro. From La Paz there are 230 km. until Oruro and the trip lasts approximated of 4 hours. Also there is the daily service of bus from the cities of Potosí, Cochabamba, Sucre and Tarija.

By Air:

• Buenos Aires - Santa Cruz - La Paz: (Regular flies from Buenos Aires to La paz with stop in Santa Cruz de la Sierra) Company: Aerosur.
• La Paz - Oruro: All day bus service every half hour, estimated cost: 2$us

Terrestrial route:

• Villazón - Uyuni - Oruro: Train services tour times per week, days: Wednesday, Thursday and Saturdays, hour: 15:30 (Bolivian time); ticket cost: (Villazón - Oruro) $us 21 (executive class) and $us 10 (tourist). • Villazón - Potosí - Oruro: Bus service all day, estimated cost: $us 15.