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Experience Jauja
Jauja at a glance
HOW TO REACH JAUJA
Access
Jauja is one of the nine provinces of the Junin Region and is divided into twenty-four districts.
The capital city with the same name is located 252 km from Lima, the capital of Peru. The access roads, which are all paved and in very good condition, are: Lima-Jauja, 252 km. Huancayo-Jauja, 45 km. Tarma Jauja, 56 km.
Geographical Location
The city of Jauja is 3,410 meters above sea level, with a latitude south of 11°46'31” and a longitude west 75°30'00”. It offers a series of ecological zones, from the snowcapped mountains, which go up to 5,750 meters above sea level, to the jungle. These characteristics make Jauja a great tourist area in which visitors can enjoy the beauty of the temperate Mantaro Valley, the tropical areas of Ricran and Monobamba, and the snowcapped mountains of Pariacaca and Tunsho.
Celebrations in Jauja, an Introduction
Jauja is one of the provinces in Peru where practically all year around there are celebrations o parties. Nevertheless, most of these parties take place during the months from December to April.
Most of these celebrations are associated with the agriculture cycles and livestock rising, although the main justification is related to religious festivities including Christmas celebration. This is why in Christmas the typical dance is “Huaylijia,” and in New Year is the “Corcovados.” The celebrations of the “Cruz del Barrio” are usually related to the “Cortamontes.” The celebration to Saints such as “San Fabian” or “San Sebastián” relates to the “Tunantada.” The “Jija” and the “Cegadores” dances represent the harvest of wheat.
The dances in Jauja are artistic but slow; which make hard to master them.
The dance of the Carnival Jaujino, is almost unique in the valley because of its elegance and aristocratic touch. This dance is only for couples that have the freedom of expressing their movements in a creative manner. It is because of the artistic expressión that this dance is for appropriate for a salóon than for the streets, according to Edgardo Rivera Martinez.
The Tunantada is one of the most important festivities in the Province of Jauja and can be seen throughout many of the districts within the province at different times of the year. The most important celebration, however, is the one that takes place in the district of Yauyos on the 20th of January.
It is not clear what the origin of the Tunantada is, but according to historical references, this dance started at the beginning of the 20th century, when the development of an orchestra added to its complexity. The Tunantada is a dance in groups, each one composed of a series of characters with diverse names, intended on resembling different nations and ethnic groups. This explains the presence of characters such as the Chapetón, Jaujina, Wanka, etc. It is worthy to note that each character dances independently of the others; in other words, there is no group choreography. Each person dances according to the character s/he represents. The principal characteristic of the Tunantada is the dance of transformation, where each dancer assumes the identity of the character through the use of a mask (“careta”) such as the Argentinean, Bolivian (Jamille), or Chuto.
The “pachahuara” is a popular dance, involving adults and children with no limitation in gender, age, or financial means. The name comes from two “Quechua" words, “pacha meaning earth and “huara” dawn, that is the dawn of earth.
There two phases in this dance, the first. The suffering of the black slaves during their slavery in the republican period, and the second the happiness of freedom.
Consequently, the first phase involves slow steps with a closed umbrella, while in the second phase the dance is at an accelerated rhythm, jumping with rapid movements of the arms and an opened umbrella.
The rehearsal for this dance takes place on Saturday and Sunday. At night, dancers wear warm clothes to be protected against the rain and the cold of about 6 C. It starts around 10 p.m. and ends at 6:00 a.m. All dancers wear a small bell and a cigar.
