View of Sanctuary of Las Lajas, from border town Ipiales.
Sanctuary of Las Lajas. The cathedral is of Gothic revival architecture and was built from January 1, 1916 to August 20, 1949, with donations from local churchgoers, replacing an old nineteenth-century chapel. The name Laja comes from the name of a type of flat sedimentary rock similar to floor tiles found in the Andes Mountains. There was a claim that an apparition of the Virgin Mary was seen.
Llamas dressed up for picture-taking
Archangel St. Michael, guardian of the sanctuary
One of the most popular temple benefactors of Lajas was the blind Rivera, who without the light of his eyes crossed fields, villages and cities begging for money to buy materials with which to build the shrine to Our Lady.
The reason for the cathedral's creation is that in 1754 an Amerindian named Maria Mueces and her deaf-mute daughter Rosa were caught in a very strong storm. They found refuge between the gigantic Lajas, and to Maria Mueces's surprise, Rosa exclaimed "the mestiza is calling me..." and pointed to the lightning-illuminated 'painting' over the laja.
Miracles are posted on the wall.
Carved doors at a side entrance.
Waterfall across from the canyon, below the statue of Archangel Michael.
Stained glass of Notre Dame de Lourdes. Stained glass windows are of sightings (apparitions) of the Virgin Mary.
Notre Dame de la Salette
Lady of Fatima
Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe
Nuestra Senora de Chiquinquira
Cherubs
Front of Sanctuary
Side View of Sanctuary
The Divine Child