Ansari visits archaeological sites on first day of Peru tour

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Vice President Hamid Ansari today toured a number of archaeological sites, including the ruins of a temple where women were sacrificed for centuries, and places of historical significance on the first day of his visit to Peru.
Ansari, along with his entourage, was driven 30 kilometres south of Lima to have a glance at the culture of INCA Empire, the largest empire in pre-Columbian America.
Ansari visited the archaeological site of Pachacamac, which for several centuries was one of the largest religious centres on the Peruvian Coast.
The INCA believed that it was necessary to appease the powerful Sun God and therefore they offered women at the sacrificial altar of the Sun temple after intoxicating them heavily, a guide told the Vice President and his entourage.

The rule of the INCAs came to an end with the Spanish invasion some 400 years back.
While most of the temples and pyramids lay in terrible ruins, the Acllahuasi temple or the house of Mamaconas (women dedicated to the religious ceremonies) where the women who were to be offered to god lived, was still in a good shape.

Continual exposure to the El Nino weather phenomenon has damaged many of the structures beyond repair.
Artefacts found in the area have been dated to the Early Intermediate Period (200-600 AD) but the main city and administrative centre were built by the Wari (600-800 AD) Empire.

The Wari Empire declined but Pachacamac grew in importance as a religious centre and most of the common buildings and temples date between 800 and 1450 AD.
Ansari also visited the Museum of Pachacamac located inside the archaeological complex, which displays ancient remains found in the zone.
The site was originally used for the worship of Pacha Kamaq ('Earth Maker'), the creator God.
The INCA continued to use Pachacamac as a religious shrine and added Pacha Kamaq to their pantheon of Gods. They constructed the huge Temple of the Sun. This is built on the west side of the complex and overlooks the Pacific Ocean.

There are a number of terraces where mummified bodies sat.
The Vice President also relished the magnificent view of the Pacific Ocean as well as of the Lurin Valley nearby.
Ansari is currently on an official visit to Peru which is the first Vice Presidential visit to the Latin American country, with communist Cuba as his next stop.
During his visit, Ansari will meet Peru's foreign minister and its foreign trade and tourism minister. He will also call on Peruvian President Ollanta Humala.