Teotihuacan -The Place Where Gods are Made

“Let’s not have any more mortal sacrifices here”, warned our trusted tourist guide Miguel, as we set forth to climb the tricky flight of stairs that led up the sacred pyramid of Quetzelcoatl.

We were at the ancient city of Teotihuacan, the enormous archaeological site near Mexico City that housed the ruins of probably one of the biggest settlements that existed in the Pre-Columbian Americas. A race mostly known for their expertise in architecture & murals, exotic gods like the Feathered Snake (Quetzalcoatl) and the Fanged Rain-god (Tlaloc), and also for their custom of conducting mass human sacrifices to appease the gods, the Teotihuacanos are believed to have existed in the same time as the Mayans did in the Yucatan peninsula.



Legend has it that when the Aztecs discovered these ruins more than seven centuries after the entire race had been wiped out, they were so impressed by the architecture and splendour of the city, that they gave it its name Teotihuacan, which in native tongue, Nahuatl , means, “The Place where Gods are made”.

Our guide kept a steady flow of information while we negotiated the steep stone stairs to the Pyramid of Quetzelcoatl. The entire city centre was originally a massive 22 square kilometres in area, of which only 7 kms is open to public today. The Pyramid of Quetzelcoatl, which is bang at the centre of the ancient city, was our first stop of what was to be a two-hour tour of the entire ruins. The pyramid is adorned with stone heads of the feathered serpent god as well as the rain god Tlaloc. Even though very little of the stone adornments of this pyramid remain, archeological studies have shown that there were not less than 360 such stone heads on the pyramid, atop which there was also a temple where human sacrifices were made.



A short walk down the grassy avenue was the gargantuan Sun Pyramid. An impressive 75 metres in height, it was with quite a bit of trepidation that we started the ascent to the top. However, with the hot searing sun high above, and rivulets of sweat running down our back, exactly 245 steps later, what greeted us at the top was a breathtaking view of the entire archeological site, with the valley of Mexico City and the mountain ranges beyond. While the temple atop the pyramid had been completely destroyed with the passage of time, leaving us no clue as to what the pyramid had been used for, Miguel was quick in pointing out that we should all join hands in exhorting Tlaloc the Rain God , just like the medieval times. We did so enthusiastically, of course, to no avail. The sun still burnt down on us and there wasn’t the faintest trace of rain clouds in the bright blue sky! 



Next on the agenda was the moon pyramid which was on the other end of the3-km avenue which started from the base of the Pyramid of Quetzalcoatl. All along this avenue (also called La Calzada de los Muertos- The Causeway of the Dead), are more pyramids, mausoleums and sacrificial sites. The climb to the first level of the Moon Pyramid (visitors are not allowed beyond) afforded a magnificent view of the entire stretch of the Causeway of the dead, with all the smaller structures alongside it.



The entire city of Teotihuacan is said to have been decorated with murals of their numerous gods and jaguars (which was presumably an important political symbol for the race). And with the lack of any known language or script for the civilization, these murals are the only key to understand the life of Teotihuacanos. With time having destroyed the temples atop the pyramids and erased the murals almost in entirety, Teotihuacan still lies steeped in mystery- mystery about their life, customs, beliefs and death. But this only adds to the grandeur and larger-than-life awe that they evoke in us as we walk in the shadows of these majestic structures.



The tour coming to a close, we made our way to the gates through the grassy slopes alongside the medieval mausoleums. However, when we looked back to have a last glimpse of the Sun Pyramid, we saw that Tlaloc had completely taken over- dark rainclouds thundered above the peak, where the tiny colourful pinpricks that were tourists atop the pyramid scampered around for non-existent cover. Our prayers had been answered. The God of Rain poured down on us mercifully as we rushed to our cars.



For more pictures of our trip to Teotihuacan, click here...!