For me visiting the Tikal National Park (a UNESCO World
Heritage site) is a ritual experience. I
am always awed by the beauty of the rainforest and the site of the Temples
rising out of the jungle. Having visited
the ruins since 1998, I find that as I walk through the park I look for the
special trees where the jungle bees live, where the silver fox likes to cross
the path offering the lucky tourist an opportune photo, and all the while I
imagine the way that the Ancient Maya ceremonially processed to and from
various religious activities.
October 12th for the modern indigenous Maya is a nationwide
day of ceremony and Tikal is one of the most popular locations for the
different linguistic groups to meet and perform a fire ceremony. At the different temple complexes you will
find Itza Maya, Mopan, Quiche, and Kikchi village groups gathering with their
marimbas, drums, flutes, and other instruments making music, dancing, and
feeding the ceremonial fire to feed the Gods and their ancestors the best and
most beautiful they have to offer (copal, sugar, rum, scented waters, tobacco,
and more). The smoke carries their
prayers and is used to cleanse their spiritual selves.
Dia de La Raza - Tikal Temple V - video