Shri Surya Dev

Who Surya is

Surya is the Sun god, one of the most ancient deities in the Vedic tradition — hymns to him appear throughout the Rigveda, older than most other named gods worshipped in Hindu practice today. He is worshipped daily at sunrise across India, most visibly through Surya Namaskar (sun salutation) and the offering of water (Arghya) facing the rising sun.

Parentage and family

Surya is usually described as the son of the sage Kashyapa and Aditi, making him one of the Adityas, and he is the father of several major figures across Hindu epics: Karna (by Kunti) in the Mahabharata, and Yama, Yamuna, Shani (Saturn) and the Ashwini Kumaras by his wife Sanjna and her shadow-form Chhaya. His son Shani, in particular, is worshipped very differently from him — Surya represents brilliant, life-giving energy, while Shani represents slow, disciplined justice.

Iconography and the seven horses

Surya is traditionally depicted riding a chariot pulled by seven horses (representing the seven colours of light, or the seven days of the week) and driven by Aruna, his charioteer, who has no legs — a detail meant to show that the sun's chariot needs no physical support to move across the sky. He is shown holding lotus flowers in both hands, radiating light from behind like a halo.

Where Surya is worshipped

Unlike many deities with numerous dedicated temples, one of the most famous is the Konark Sun Temple in Odisha, built in the 13th century in the shape of his chariot with intricately carved stone wheels. Chhath Puja, a major festival in Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, is dedicated almost entirely to Surya and his consort Usha (dawn), with devotees standing in water to offer Arghya at both sunset and sunrise.