Vestivity Urkupiña Virgin - Urkupiña

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· Information guide about Urcupiña festivity ·

URKUPIÑA FESTIVITY 2006

AUGUST 14,15 AND 16

QUILLACOLLO - COCHABAMBA WAIT FOR YOU

Enjoy the Folkloric Entrance, the National Integration Festivity

In Quillacollo's town, located at 13 Km. from Cochabamba, - the heart of Bolivia - is carried out the Virgin of Urkupiña Festivity, a conjunction of indigenous traditions with the solemnity of Catholic rites and a great folkloric variety sample, that makes of this party of the biggest attractive in Bolivia in this time.

Festivity that's comes generating Faith from the middle of the XVIII century. The history tells that the Virgin appears to a little shepherdess of the area, and she was witnessed by the parents and neighbors.

Well-known as "Party of the National Integration", Urkupiña it is a mixture and interaction of pagan with religious things, that it lasts three overflowing days of happiness, faith and it thrills, accompanied by the Bolivian traditions.

August 14, day of the Folkloric Entrance and beginning of the party, where thousands dancers dedicate their dance as offering and tribute to the Virgin of Urkupiña, promising the devote dancers to participate in the Folkloric Entrance during three continuous years, dancing those journey approximately 6 Km.

The Folkloric groups or fraternities dance like Caporales, Morenos, Tinkus, Diabladas and other dances, accompanied by music bands showing the whole colour of they suits and masks. The dancers begin their journey in the morning and sometimes the last groups finish their presentation at dawn.

The second day, August 15, the parishioners and devote attend the masses in the main church of Quillacollo: San Idelfonso Church, then to leave in procession toward the Calvary or Cota Hill, - where it happened the apparition, fallowed by the fraternities groups that day before offered their dance.

August 16, will be the last day of the festivity. This day has the main characteristic the procession. The devotes leave at early hours of the dawn from the Cochabamba city in great pilgrimage toward the Quillacollo; where after listening the mass evening, they made they way to the Calvary, with a total of 16 Km. Traveled on foot.

Is tradition that in the Calvary Hill, the devotes request any favours or "Loan" to the miraculous Virgin of Urkupiña, where the devotes proceeds to extract stones bidding with a hammer (symbolizing the work) and the stones extracted with the blows, symbolize the loan granted by the Virgin; stones that then will be blessed in the church, making the promise of returning the "loan" the following year.

Background Urkupiña Festivity