Deities

Surya: the Sun God

Surya, the Hindu sun god: his Vedic roots, his chariot of seven horses, the Gayatri Mantra and Surya Namaskar, his great temples, and festivals such as Makar Sankranti and Chhath.

Last reviewed 7 October 2026

Surya is the sun god of Hinduism, worshipped since the time of the Vedas as the source of light, warmth, life and health. Many Hindus still greet the rising sun each morning by offering water and reciting prayers to him. Surya is visible to all, and is sometimes called the one deity whom everyone can see.

Surya in the Vedas

The sun is praised in many Rig Vedic hymns under several names: Surya, the sun itself; Savitr, the stimulator, who rouses all beings; and Pushan, the guardian of roads and herds. The most famous verse in the Vedas, the Gayatri Mantra (Rig Veda 3.62.10), is addressed to Savitr, asking him to inspire and illuminate the mind.

Surya is one of the Adityas, the sons of the goddess Aditi. In later Hinduism he is also counted among the nine planetary deities, the navagraha, which are honoured in many temples and in Hindu astrology.

How Surya is depicted

Surya is usually shown riding a golden chariot pulled by seven horses, sometimes explained as the seven colours of light or the seven days of the week. His charioteer is Aruna, the dawn, who has no legs. Surya often holds a lotus in each hand. In north Indian sculpture he is sometimes shown wearing tall boots, a feature that may reflect Central Asian influence.

Family

Surya's wife Sanjna (or Saranyu) found his brilliance so unbearable that she left behind her shadow, Chhaya, to take her place. Among Surya's children are Yama, the god of death; Shani, the planet Saturn; the twin Ashvins, the divine physicians; and, in the Mahabharata, the tragic hero Karna, born to Kunti before her marriage.

Worship of Surya

  • Morning offerings: many Hindus offer water (arghya) to the rising sun, often while reciting the Gayatri Mantra.
  • Surya Namaskar, the “sun salutation”, is a sequence of postures traditionally performed facing the morning sun, now familiar in yoga classes worldwide.
  • The Aditya Hridayam, a hymn to the sun from the Ramayana, is said to have been taught to Rama by the sage Agastya before his final battle with Ravana.
  • Sunday (Ravivar) is Surya's day.

Festivals

  • Makar Sankranti marks the sun's entry into Capricorn in mid-January, the start of its northward journey. In Tamil Nadu it is celebrated as Pongal, a harvest festival that thanks Surya.
  • Chhath Puja, held six days after Diwali, is a major festival in Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Nepal. Devotees fast and stand in rivers or ponds to offer prayers to the setting and rising sun.
  • Ratha Saptami, in January–February, celebrates Surya's birthday.

Sun temples

Although Surya was once a major object of temple worship, few active sun temples remain. The most famous is the Konark Sun Temple in Odisha, built in the 13th century in the form of a giant stone chariot with twelve pairs of carved wheels and seven horses. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Sun Temple at Modhera in Gujarat, built in the early 11th century, has a remarkable stepped tank.

Sources and further reading

  • Stephanie Jamison and Joel Brereton (trans.), The Rigveda (Oxford University Press, 2014).
  • V. C. Srivastava, Sun-Worship in Ancient India (Indological Publications, 1972).
  • UNESCO World Heritage, “Sun Temple, Konarak”.