The Pujllay festival is an indigenous Bolivian celebration held every year in Tarabuco. It happens on the third Sunday of March and is well worth seeing if you happen to be in Sucre.
History of Pujllay
Pujllay is an important celebration for the people of Tarabuco (Tarabuceños). It is attended by around 60 of the surrounding indigenous Yampara communities.
Pujllay commemorates the Battle of Jumbate, fought during the Bolivian War of Independence. On 12th March 1816, villagers from Tarabuco attacked a battalion of Spanish soldiers. It was a resounding victory, liberating the town. All the soldiers perished except the little drummer boy. Legend has it that the villagers ate the soldiers’ still-beating hearts as an act of victory.
To this day, Tarabuceños have a reputation for fierceness and are known as the ‘heart eaters’. You can see a statue of one of these fearsome warriors, holding up a dripping heart, in Tarabuco’s town square.
The Pujllay festival commemorates those who died in the battle. It is also the harvest festival, as it marks the end of the rainy season in Bolivia. ‘Pujllay’ means ‘game’ in Quechua, the indigenous language.
Pujllay – pronounced pukh-lee-eye, with the end of the first syllable somewhere between a ‘k’ and a Spanish ‘j’ (i.e. ‘h’). Sometimes also spelt as ‘pukllay’.
Pujllay Traditions
The Pujllay celebration begins with a Catholic mass, conducted in Quechua. The festivities then begin. Locals parade down the town’s main road in colourful costumes, singing and dancing. Onlookers, both local and tourists, line the streets to get a good view of the parade.
The traditional Pujllay costume consists of a helmet, embroidered poncho, and wooden shoes. The intricate designs on these ponchos are painstakingly hand-embroidered. Examples of these traditional textiles are on display at Sucre’s Indigenous Art Museum.
The round black helmets and spurs imitate the clothing of the Spanish soldiers. The ‘spurs’ are metal discs attached to wooden shoes, jingling as they dance down the streets.
The next part of the celebration is the dance around the pukara, the ceremonial tower/altar. It is over 3 metres tall, and is covered in fruit, bread, meat and other foods. The pukara is an offering to Pachamama (Mother Earth) to ask for a good harvest. Pachamama is an important goddess in indigenous Andean culture – in both Bolivia and Peru.
Groups from different communities take it in turns to dance around the pukara. This lasts for several hours, and plenty of chicha is also drunk. Chicha is an alcoholic drink made from fermented corn or maize. It is popular amongst the indigenous community in Bolivia.
At the end of the festival, the food is taken down and shared out amongst the attendees.
Tarabuco Town and Market
Tarabuco is a town located 65km outside of Sucre, in Yamparáez province, Chuquisaca. At 3,284m it is at an even higher altitude than Sucre’s 2,810m. Although it is the capital of Yamparáez province, it is a fairly small town.
Tarabuco has an open-air market, which happens every Sunday. People from local communities come to sell their fresh produce and textiles here. Despite increasing numbers of tourists visiting, it still retains its authenticity. This market is an essential part of life for these communities.
Most locals attending the market will wear traditional Yampara attire. It is common to see women wearing colourful cloth bundles on their backs. These are called aguayos. Indigenous women use these to carry their shopping, but also their babies!
Tips for Attending the Pujllay Festival
I attended the Pujllay festival on a day trip organised by my Spanish School. It was about a 2-hour drive to get to Tarabuco. It is a perfect day trip from Sucre – on normal market Sundays as well as for the Pujllay festival. The market was also open on festival day, so you’ll be able to get the full Tarabuco experience.
Getting there: most tourist centres in Sucre organise day tours to Tarabuco. You can also take the public bus route used by locals.
Sun protection: wear sunscreen and a hat! Tarabuco is 1000m above Sucre in altitude, so the sun’s rays are much stronger and you will get sunburnt much quicker. Don’t make the same mistake as me – I had skin peeling off my forehead for a week afterwards!
Temperature: the temperature will fluctuate a lot throughout the day, so bring layers to keep warm/cool off as necessary.
Market: the market winds down after about 2pm. Bring cash – there are no ATMs in Tarabuco.
Food: there are food stalls at the market, although choice may be limited for vegetarians. There are also a few restaurants on the main street serving traditional Bolivian food. Bring a packed lunch to save time and avoid missing any of the festivities.
Read more about travelling to Bolivia.
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So lucky that your trip coincided with this festival! Or was it planned?
It was a serendipitous trip! 😆
How intriguing ! Did you buy anything ?
I bought a few jumpers, which kept me warm for the rest of my South America trip!
I’d never heard of this — it sounds like quite an experience. Thanks for the article, and for the superb photos!
Thank you for stopping by and reading!