The god you can see
Surya is called pratyaksha devata, the deity who is directly visible. His worship needs no murti: the rising sun itself is the image, and the central act is the arghya, water offered to him at sunrise. He is associated with health, energy, eyesight and confidence, and he rules Sunday.
When to do it
- Every morning at sunrise, the arghya.
- Sunday, his day, with a fuller puja and, for some, a fast. See Sunday Surya Bhakti.
- Makar Sankranti, Ratha Saptami (Magh Shukla Saptami), and Chhath, the great sun festival of Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh.
What you will need
- A copper lota of clean water
- Red flowers, red chandan (sandal), akshat, a pinch of jaggery or sugar
- A ghee lamp and incense for the Sunday puja
- A picture of Surya Dev in his seven-horse chariot, if you also worship indoors
- Naivedya: jaggery, wheat-and-jaggery sweets, or fruit
The sunrise arghya, step by step
- Prepare. Rise before sunrise, bathe, and wear clean clothes (red or saffron are traditional).
- Fill the lota. Add red chandan, a red flower, a few grains of akshat and a pinch of jaggery to the water.
- Face the sun. Stand facing east as the sun rises, holding the lota with both hands at chest height.
- Offer. Pour the water in a thin stream while chanting the Surya Gayatri Mantra or "Om Suryaya Namah". Look at the sun through the falling stream of water, never directly.
- Parikrama. Turn around once clockwise where you stand, and bow.
- The full method is in Surya Arghya.
The Sunday puja
- After the arghya, light a ghee lamp before Surya's picture and offer red flowers and red chandan.
- Offer jaggery or a wheat-and-jaggery sweet.
- Recite the Aditya Hridaya Stotra, the hymn Sage Agastya taught Shri Ram before his battle, or read the Surya Chalisa.
- Sing Om Jai Surya Bhagwan.
Things to keep in mind
- Never stare at the sun. Look only through the stream of falling water, and only at the soft light of sunrise.
- Those who keep the Sunday fast traditionally eat one meal without salt, before sunset.
- The water from the arghya should not fall where it will be stepped on; pour it onto a plant or into a basin and empty it at a tree.
Frequently asked questions
What is the right time for Surya arghya?
At sunrise, or within about an hour of it, while the sun is still soft and low.
Why a copper lota?
Copper is the metal associated with Surya, and offering water from a copper vessel is the long-standing tradition.
What is the Aditya Hridaya Stotra?
A hymn to the sun from the Valmiki Ramayana, taught by Sage Agastya to Shri Ram on the battlefield. Read it on our Aditya Hridaya page.