Autumn equinox in Chichén Itzá: the feathered serpent makes a triumphal entry

Summer got behind us to make way for Autumn, the exact time in Mexico was 8:32 am on Tuesday, September 22.

Like every year, during this change of season, Yucatán received the visit of Kukulcán in the archaeological zone of Chichén Itzá.

The Feathered Serpent god arrived on time for his appointment with Earth, he did it precisely in the pyramid known as “El Castillo“, one of the Seven New Wonders of the Modern World.

The seven isosceles triangles that form the body of Kukulcán appeared one by one, the first at 3:45 p.m. sharp.

Every 15 minutes another triangle was completed, at 5:00 p.m. they had formed 5 and 40 minutes later, the moment of splendor arrived when the last triangle formed in the snake’s head.

A play of light and shadow that combined the astronomy, mathematics, architecture, and religion of the Maya culture.

“One of the most important events on the Chichen calendar is the spring equinox and the fall equinox. The equinox was very important for the Maya, as they reflected it in their architecture. There are 7 triangles of sun and shadow, ”said Marco Santos, director of the Chichén-Itzá archaeological zone.

Chichén Itzá, the most important city of the Maya, opened its doors again after being closed for six months due to the contingency. Filters were installed at the entrance, everyone entered with face masks, and only up to 3,000 visitors are allowed inside the premises (although only 1,500 arrived on Sep. 22nd)

The 40 degrees in the shade did not matter to the spectators who patiently observed how the Maya god made his entrance.

“The level of knowledge in terms of astronomy that they had in the Maya culture was surprising, the observation capacity to be able to build the pyramid so that this phenomenon could occur ever year with such accuracy, makes us feel proud of our ancestors,” said María Elena Medina, one of the visitors who witnessed the event.

“It is something super important, we see the quality of astronomers within our culture,” added Luis Alcántara, another visitor.

Kinich Ahau, the Sun god of the Mayans, also appeared in the archaeological zone of Dzibilchaltún, north of Mérida, his rays crossed the temple of the Seven Dolls.

The Chichén Itzá Castle and the Temple of the Dolls Site in Dzibilchaltún, are buildings considered as monumental stone calendars built between 400 to 800 AD.