While showing great religious fervor, local dance troupes paid homage to traditional Virgen de la Candelaria saint in the Southern city of Puno.
The regional contest featured dancers wearing typical costumes, thus reenacting life in Viceroyalty times (16-19th Century).
The event kicked off at the city's Enrique Torres Belon Stadium on Sunday morning and ended sometime after 4:00 PM.
Organized by Puno's Folklore and Culture Regional Federation, the event hosted 93 troupes.
Joined by the rhythm of pinquillos (wind instruments), drums and bass drums, each delegation showed its spectacular and colorful dancing skills to locals and tourists.
At the site, contestants put amazing choreographies on display that were rewarded with cheers and applause from spectators.
As part of the ritual, dancers continued with the pilgrimage to Virgen de la Candelaria Sanctuary, located in Puno's Manuel Pino Square.
The whole festivity runs from January 29 thru February 12.
About the festivity
Puno's Festivity of Virgen de la Candelaria was included into UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on November 27, 2014.
The religious festival constitutes one of the country's biggest and lengthiest cultural manifestations. A distinctive expression of living culture, it welcomes tens of thousands of local and foreign visitors every year.
(END) JHM/MVB