THE CORICANCHA : A Temple for the "TRUE GOD" of the Incas.

The implications that the INCAS were simply sun-worshippers is clearly not accurate. There is more to this Temple than sun worship. 

The name "CORICANCHA" means "The courtyard of cosmic gold" in Quechua, the language of the Incas. It was dedicated to worship the "TRUE GOD," the most important deity in the Inca's pantheon of deities. 

In addition to hundreds of gold panels lining its walls, there were life-size gold figures, solid-gold altars, and a huge GOLDEN SUN DISC. 

The sun disc reflected the sun rays and bathed the Temple in light. The image that it gave to the people of the Andes was that the Spirit of the Creator was manifested through the person acting as ruler of the empire. During the summer solstice, the sun shone directly to a niche where only the Inca chieftain was permitted to sit.

An interesting drawing of an Incan altar piece inside the remains of the Coricancha give us a clear understanding of what the Incas were worshiping at the Temple of the "True God."

Garcilazo de la Vega, a Peruvian writer describes it in the following excerpt: ..."what we shall call the high altar, although this expression did not exist among the people of the Andes, was placed to the EAST, and the roof, which was very high, was of wood, covered with straw. The four walls were hung with plaques of gold from top to bottom, and the likeness of the light emitted by the sun topped the high altar. This likeness was made of a gold plaque twice as thick as those that paneled the walls, and was composed of a round face, prolonged by rays and flames.... The whole thing was so immense that it occupied the entire back of the Temple."

The Golden Disc in the drawing is shaped in a distinct oblong shape, and is separated from the self-evident sun-disc. It also has a complex set of celestial symbols of which the sun is simply one of several. The elliptical disc appears to be part of a celestial Trinity. In the center of the diagram of the High Altar is a massive Golden Ellipse. To either side of it are the sun and the moon and depictions of Venus as the morning and evening star. The ellipse is surmounted by a cross of stars and further stars lie below it. This celestial scene focuses upon the ellipse as the all-important source of the Universe, the True God.

The ellipse was the "True Sun" of the Inca. It was the image of the Creator, called VIRACOCHA, translated as "Ruler of the entire Universe." The "True Sun" to make it distinguished from our familiar luminary

The realm of the "INNER WORLD" (Ukhu Pacha). Part 2

When the Spanish came to the area, rituals about to balance the forces of the Inner World were crucial in the missionary activity and mining operations. The belief of the dualistic nature in everything and the rituals surrounding the openings to the Inner World made it easier to initially get the population to work in the mines.
However, at the same time, because mining was considered a perturbation of "subterranean life and the spirits that ruled it; they yielded to sacredness that did not belong to the familiar universe, it had to deal with a deeper and riskier sacredness."
Almost the entire population of the empire were killed by the diseases that were brought by the Spaniards, and the disturbances that the people of the Andes experienced in their homeland proved to them that the forces that inhabited the underworld were in serious perturbation.
In the time being, in order to ensure that perturbations do not cause evil on the world, the people of the Andes continue making traditional offerings to the inhabitants of the Underworld (the Supay).
Today, the people still retain the importance of the rituals.
Although the different realms are distinct, there are a variety of connections between them. Caves and Springs serve as connections between the Inner World and the World where the humans, animals, plants, coexist.  Rainbows and Lightnings serve as connections between the Upper World and the world in which we live.
In addition, human spirits after death inhabit any of the levels. Some would remain in the middle realm until they had finished business, while others might move to higher levels.
The most significant connection between the different levels was performed at the time when a huge cataclysm happened, making the whole world change the appearance. These are considered the instances when the different levels of reality impact one another transforming the entire order of the world.

The realm of the "INNER WORLD" (UKHU PACHA). Part 1

The quechua (Inca's language) word "PACHA," often is translated as "WORLD." The INCA's concept about the design of the COSMOS was that it was divided into different spheres. There were THREE different levels of the WORLD (Pacha) :
-The UPPER REALM (Hanan  Pacha) included the sky, the sun, the moon, the stars, the planets, and constellations (of particularly importance being the Milky Way). It was inhabited by the masculine force, the SUN GOD (Inti), and the feminine force and MOON goddess (Mama Quilla). In addition, the god of thunder and lightning, also inhabited the upper realm.
The MIDDLE REALM (Kay Pacha) was interpreted as the perceptible world where humans, animals, plants all inhabit. This realm is often impacted by the struggle between the Upper Realm and the Inner Realm.
The INNER REALM (Ukhu Pacha) is associated with the dead as well as with new life. As the realm of new life, it is associated with harvesting and the fertility goddess Pachamama. Then as the realm associated with the dead, it is inhabited by the group of demons (the Supay) that torment the living.

The realms were understood as not solely spatial, but as a simultaneously spatial and temporal. Although the universe was a unified system, the division between the realms (worlds) was part of the dualism found in everything. It was believed that everything that existed had both extremes. For example, hot and cold, positive and negative, dark and light, etc.
Human disruptions of the Inner Realm (Ukhu Pacha) were considered a sacred matter and ceremonies and rituals were often associated with disturbances in the Middle Realm (Kay Pacha).
During the time of tilling for potato crops the disturbance of the soil was met with a host of sacred rituals. The rituals were precise and often brought food, drink (chicha) and other comforts to CAVE OPENINGS for the spirits of the ancestors.

HUACAS or PACARINAS and PACARITAMBO, what they meant to the INCAS?

The term HUACA or PACARINAS refers to natural locations which holds an energy presence or spirit. They are commonly located in all regions of Peru in correlation with the regions populated by the pre-Inca and Inca civilizations. Cities were built around this central points of energy in all the regions.
Their religious beliefs were founded in the understanding of the soul. All the inhabitants were unified through the power of their souls and as such every one of them had a specific function and held immortality.
According to their myths many of his ancestors emerged from the HUACAS that were called "the inn of the dawn." The INCA itself emerged from PACARI-TAMBO.
Pacari-tambo, the word "Pacari"means "to dawn / to be born, and "Tambo" means "Inn, Lodge." It was located on the hill TAMBO-TOCO. The word "Toco" means "niche, hole or gap," in the wall.
According to one myth, Pacari-tambo was a house. The house, a mythical place, was flooded by Lake Titicaca. Then some entities that were coming from Titicaca Lake and from Tiahuanco entered TAMBO-TOCO and from there eight Inca brothers and sisters came out through Pacari-tambo and then they went to the HUACA HUANACAURI, coming from COLLAO towards the CITY OF CUZCO. From the Huanacauri hill the INCA watched the CUZCO VALLEY.
A Huaca was built along a ceremonial line of energy or route, and was done for the enactment of sacred rituals within the CAPITAL at CUZCO. This lines of energy were called CEQUES. They were laid out to express the cosmology in which their beliefs were based on. Also they were aligned astronomically to various stellar risings and settings related to seasonal ceremonies and universal time keeping. These CEQUE lines had a significant resemblance to the movement of the cosmic energy in the universe in which we are part of.
HUACAS and PACARINAS became significant centers of worship and a POINT of UNITY and common citizenship to all.

HOPE was an essential LIFE FORCE for the people of the Andes.

HOPE was defined by the people of the Andes as an essential LIFE FORCE having a great significance in the every day life.
HOPE was vital for everyone. It was considered an inner power or a strong expectation of something better in the outcome of every situation that they faced in their communities or private lives.
HOPE was renewed or restored or increased or encouraged with the confidence that everyone had in themselves, their spirituality, their government, and the future.
HOPE was not depended on facts or logic, not even was understood as an ordered into being.
HOPE was a powerful energy that gave to life the capacity of achieving goals that lead them to a better future during their time. They knew that if that balance or communication between energies were broken their future were doomed.
HOPE gave meaning and happiness. It forced life to believe in trust. Every individual was unique and in a personal manner they motivated themselves in the increase of their inner spiritual power in order to achieve the common goals of the communities in which they lived.
HOPE was defined as an anticipation of a future which was good, based on mutuality (relationship with others), a sense of personal competence, and coping ability. It was a part of the future. It developed a positive attitude and a strong feeling of possibility.
HOPE was a subjective state that influenced the reality to project itself and come. They were able to manage their internal and external realities.
HOPE was a life force characterized by a confident yet uncertain expectation of achieving a positive future. They needed to live in harmony with nature.
HOPE was manifested by as a strong positive force able to achieve the goals established first in their inner spiritual realm and be projected to the conscious reality of the every day life.
HOPE boosted the individual in the process of growing from the inside out. It was a essential LIFE FORCE able to manifest itself as a royal shield protecting the harmony between the individual and the laws of nature.