Chakana

The basis on which Mitad del Mundo is built is very fascinating, a 1000-year-old culture and people who were astonishingly progressive and accurate in their solar calculations. The four directions of the stone monument are representative of the four directions, seasons and give details of how the village was administered, its beliefs and significance of colors, what they mean and stand for. The faith of the people in Pichincha was very much in nature, which they considered supreme of all. Chakana, in Quichua means stairs, is the approach path to the monument over which the brass globe rests. To delineate the twelve months, natural phenomenon like solstices and equinoxes, strength of sun round the year and details of beginning and ends of each seasons were factored in.