sun worship in india

5/23/2018 Sun Worship in India

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Sun Worship in India

Surya is glorified in the Vedic hymns of ancient India as an all-seeing god who observes

both good and evil actions. He expels not only darkness but also evil dreams and diseases.

Sun heroes and sun kings also occupy a central position in Indian mythology, where

Vivasvant, the father of ama, corresponds to the Iranian Vivahvant, the father of ima.

!here is a dynasty of sun kings, characteristically peaceful, that is "uite distinct from the

warlike moon kings.

A Special Templenet Feature on the eve of the

Total Solar Eclipse on Aug 11, 1999

Sun Temples in India

1. Introduction2. a!shinaar!a Temple at "a#a, $ihar

%. Sur#anaar &o#il in Tamilnadu

'. Sur#anara#ana Temple at Arasavilli

(. Sur#a )ahar Temple in Assam

*. $hraman#a ev Temple at +nao

. Sun Temple at -odhera "u/arat

0. The "rand &onar! Sun Temple

9. Sun Temples outside India

1.Solar Eclipse in!s

11.Travel 3 Tourism in!s

Introduction4 !he Vedic scriptures of the Hindu religion refer to the sun as the store house

of inexhaustible power and radiance. !hs sun god is referred to as Surya or #ditya. !he

Vedas are full of hymns describing the celestial body as the source and sustainer of all life

on earth. !he origin of the worship of the Sun in India is thus several centuries old.
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$eferences to sun worship are found in the puranas. !he $amayana speaks of Sage #gastya

initiating $ama into sun worship through the #ditya Hridaya %antra. !he astronomer and

astrologer Varahamirhira makes references to the intricacies of ceremonies connected with

the installation of the icon of the Sun. It is also said that Iran was once a center of Solar

worship and that some of the %agha priests of Iran had been brought to India to officiate in

ceremonies.

!here are several temples enshrining the Sun &od as the principal deity. Several temples

dedicated to Shiva, feature a small shrine for Surya the Sun &od. In addition, it is believed

that Surya, the Sun &od has offered worship at several of the shrines in !amilnadu' many of

these shrines have been designed in such a way that the sun(s rays illuminate the sanctum

)of Shiva* on certain days of the year. Several of the South Indian !emple !anks also bear

the name Surya !heertham or Surya +ushkarini.

!his article takes readers on a ourney through seven temples dedicated primarily to

Surya, akshinaarka !emple in the &angetic +lains, Suryanaar oyil in South India,

#rasavilli and onark on the /ast 0oast of India, %odhera in &uarat )1estern India*, Surya

+ahar in 2orth /astern India and 3nao in 0entral India. It should be mentioned here that

remains of an ancient Sun temple are found at %artanda near Srinagar in ashmir. It is said

to date back to the first century #. $uins of a sun temple which attracted thousands of

visitors in the 4th century # are found in %ultan in +akistan.

#s with all other temples in India, legends and beliefs are associated with each of the above

temples. It is interesting to note that one of the beliefs shared by worshippers at these

temples situated so far apart - is that visits to these temples followed by a dip in the sacred

tanks associated with them would bring relief to believers ailing from blindness, leprosy and

other skin diseases.

The a!shinaar!a temple at "a#a, $ihar

!here is an ancient Sun temple at &aya in the state of 5ihar. 6fferings to the ancestors are

made at the Surya unda or the akshina %aanas tank in front of the temple. Sun worship

apparently was very popular in the %agadha region which included &aya.

2umerous old images of the Sun &od #ditya are found in the &aya region and there are still

"uite a number of sun worshippers in &aya. It is said that they may have descended from

the fire worshippers of 0entral #sia. In fact, the granite image of #ditya )this particular

image here is also referred to as akshinaarka* or the Sun &od worshipped here is


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portrayed as wearing a acket, a waist girdle and high boots in the Iranian tradition.

Hundreds of people visit this temple on Sundays.

Sun worship in the %agadha region that encompassed &aya has been mentioned in the

+uranas and thus this temple is said to be of very ancient origin. !he current structure dates

back to the 78thcentury, where the South Indian emperor +rataparudra of 1arangal in

#ndhra +radesh is said to have built it.

!he Sun !emple at &aya faces east and is located close to the famous Vishnupaada temple

where a footprint of Vishnu is said to be enshrined. !o the east of the temple is the tank

Surya unda. !he temple is a simple and plain one, with a dome over it. !he comparatively

larger sabha mandapa stands in front of the sanctum. %assive pillars line the mandapa

where there are graceful stone sculptures of Shiva, 5hramaa, Vishnu, Surya and urga.

!here are two other notable Sun temples at &aya, namely the 3ttaraka temple near the

3ttara %aanas tank and the &ayaditya temple on the river 9algu.

The $hraman#a ev Temple at +nao in -adh#a )radesh

!he 5rahmanya ev )5aramu* temple dedicated to the Sun is located at 3nao near :hansi

in %adhya +radesh. It is a well visited temple. ;ocal belief is that worshippers find relief

from ailments such as blindness and leprosy and other skin diseases. !he stone image of

the Sun &od stands here on a brick platform covered with black plates. !wenty one triangles

representing the


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number of Siva lingams cut out of stone.In addition, Surya +ahar ruins contain many rock

cut figures of artistic merit.

Sur#anaar Temple near &um5ha!onam in Tamilnadu

!his ancient temple dedicated to the Sun is located near umbhakonam in !amilnadu.

umbhakonam and its surroundings abound in huge temples. !his well known temple

enshrines the Sun - Surya, asi Viswanatha and Visalakshi, and the other eight celestial

bodies namely 0handran, #ngarakan, 5udhan, 5rihaspati, Sukran, Saniswaran, $ahu and

etu. #n elaborate worship protocol is prescribed for pilgrims visiting here, starting with

worship at the shrine of &anesha, culminating in circumambulating the temple nine times.

!his temple built in the ravidian style is over eight hundred years old and was patroni=ed

by the Imperial 0hola ings. !his temple is located in close proximity to ananur, and

!irumangalakkudi housing 7> year old temples to Shiva. Suryanaar oyil has ac"uired alot of popularity in recent times, and is one of the pivotal points in the 2avagaraha Stala

!our organi=ed by the !amilnadu !ourist evelopment 0orporation.

Sur#anara#anas6am# temple at Arasavilli in Andhra )radesh

!his is a shrine of the Sun in a well preserved state. !he temple dates back to the 4th

century and a alinga king is said to have constructed it. !he image of worship is a ? ft tall

one of black granite holding lotus buds - flanked by 3sha and 0hhaya. +admapani is the

name of this Sun &od - padma stands for wisdom usha and chhaya stand for eternity. !hisshrine is located near Srikakulam in #ndhra +radesh.

The Sun Temple at -odhera 7 "u/arat

!his is a grand temple to the Sun &od concieved and built in 7>


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!he grandest and best known of all Sun

temples in India is the onark temple in 6rissa.

!his dates back to the 78thcentury and it

represent the highest point in 6rissan temple

architecture. onark is situated miles to the

north east of +uri. !he word onark means

corner sun.

!he black pagoda at onarak is a grand and

magnificient temple in the form of the suns

charriot drawn by seven horses marking the 4

days of the week. !he


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Surya the Sun God

;ord Sun as an inexhaustable source of energy. Sun worship in India dates back to ancient

times. It is the source of +ower. In whose presence all living being get life. !here are manytemples represents ;ord Sun as presiding deity in all over world. +erhaps the best known of

the sun temples in India are the remains of the onark temple on the east coast of India

and the remains of the %odhera sun temple in the western state of &uarat.

Sur#a Iconograph# $eliefs4

Surya is portrayed riding a seven horse chariot driven by Aruna. Aruna)a charioteer

devoid of legs* is said to be the son of &as#apamuni and :inataand brother of &aruda.

Surya is portrayed with two lotuses held in both his hand, and is occasionally shown with

the hood of the mythical serpentAdi Seshaspread over his head. #t the base of his image

are shown his gatekeepers )ingala)#gni* and anda)Skanda*.

!he :edasrefer to sun worship. :ishnuis also described as being seated in the midst of

the disk of the sun' over time Vishnu worship merged with sun worship )in some instances*,

and Surya is also referred to as Sur#anara#ana.
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Interestingly, $uddhismrefers to -arichias an incarnation of hyan-5uddha-Vairochana,

and is depicted with three faces symbolic of morning, noon and evening, on a chariot drawn

by seven boars, driven by a &oddes without legs.

$eliefs and egends

!here are several interesting legends surrounding Sur#a. Surya is considered to be an

embodiment of the !rinity $hrahma, :ishnuand Shiva. Surya is considered to be

5hrahma until midday, Shiva in the afternoon and Vishnu in the evening.

+shais the foremost of Sur#a


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8. !he astronomer and astrologer :arahamirhiramakes references to the intricacies of

ceremonies connected with the installation of the icon of the Sun.

A. %ayura, who lived in the court of ?arshavardhana)7st millennium 0/* composed the

Sur#a Sata!amin praise of Surya and is believed to have been cured of blindness.

?.It is also said that Iranwas once a center of Solarworship and that some of the -agha

priests of Iran had been brought to India to officiate in ceremonies.

Temples of Sur#a

In eastern India, the&onar! Sun templeis probably the best and most maestic specimen

of temple art in 6rissa, despite its ruined state.

In western India, the -odherasun temple, even in its ruined state is a maestic one,

bearing testimony to the art of the ancient 0halukyas of &uarat.

In south India, Sur#anaar &o#ilnear umbhakonam in !amilnadu is one of the best

specimen of 0hola kingdom.

In the central India, the sun temple at +naoin %adhya +radesh is an ancient one, believed

to be associated with cures for skin ailments.

In 2orth India, the Sur#a )ahar temple situated amongst several archaeological remains in

&oalpara in #ssam is an ancient center of sun worship.

!he a!shinaar!aSun temple at &aya is associated with the rites for making offerings to

ancestors.

!he Sun !emple at ana!purB is a magnificient structurein white soapstone. It is located in

the vicinity of the grand :ain temple complex in $anakpur in $aasthan.

!he Suryanarayana temple at Arasavalliin #ndhra +radesh is an ancient one built by the

alinga rulers in the 7st millennium 0/.

It should be mentioned here that remains of an ancient Sun temple are found at -artanda

near Srinagar in ashmir. It is said to date back to the first centur# =E. $uins of a sun

temple which attracted thousands of visitors in the 4th century 0/ are found in -ultanin

+akistan.

!he Indian system of beliefs regards sunlight as the greatest of disinfectants, hence the

sun is associated with healing power.
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Sun Temples in India

!he earliest worship related to the grahaB Surya.

!he Sun is an ordinary &< star, one of more than 7>> billion stars in our galaxy.

!otal Solar eclipse

!he black body of the%oon standing out in relief between Sun and /arth, the sudden out-

flashing radiance of the pearly corona.

2/1S9;#SHB #ll roads lead to urukshetra, India, as the holy city decks itself for the solar

eclipse on 6ct


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OM BHOOR BHUVAHA SWAHA

TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM

BHARGO DEVASYA DHEEMAHI

DHIYO YO NAHA PRACHODAYAAT

D6 &od, !hou art the giver of life, the remover of pain and sorrow, the bestower of

happiness' 6 0reator of the 3niverse, may we receive thy supreme, sin-destroying light'

may !hou guide our intellect in the right direction.D

In 5hagavad-&ita )0h. 7>. 8?*, ;ord rishna statesB

Brihat saama latha saamnaam

Gayatri chanasaam aham

Maasaanam maar!a sirsh"ham

Rit#naam $#s#maa$araha

#mong the hymns, I am the 5rihat saama sung to ;ord Indra, 6f the poetry, I am the

&ayatri verse sung daily by the initiated, 6f all the %aasanam )months*, I am the margasira

)2ovember- ecember*. #mong all the ritus )seasons*, I am the flower bearing spring.

Surya )Sun* is adored in the Vedas as Savitr, +ushan, 5haga, Vivasvat, %itra, #ryaman andVishnu. !hese deities, #msa, aksha, %aartaanda are the #dityas. Savitr is (the stimulator

of everything( )sarvasya prasavitaa--Nir#$tam, 7>,87*. Vivasvat was the first sacrificer' in

#vesta, Vivanhant was the first mortal who prepared Haoma )Vedic Soma*. !he 5rahmanas

and +uranas enumerate twelve #dityasB haatr, %itra, #ryaman, $udra, Varuna, Surya,

5haga, Vivasvan, +ushan, Savitaa, !vashtaa and Vishnu. Surya is described as the soul of

movable and immovable things )suurya aatmaa jagasatasthuushascaB $V. I.77?,7*.

$igveda describes Surya asB divya suparna garutmaan )beautiful-winged celestial bird

&arutmaan*)$V. VII, 44,8*, as a white brilliant steed brought by 3shas. !hese descriptions

result in the concept of &aruda as the mount of Vishnu. Surya is also endowed with a

chariot drawn by horsesB moving on a car drawn by one, by several or by seven fleet and

ruddy horses )$V. I. 77?, 8-A' VII.@>,8' VII.@8.


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#nandagiri refers to six classes of sun-worshippers' all of them bore naamam )caste-mark*

made of red sandal paste, wore garlands of red flowers and repeated the Suurya &aayatrii

of eight syllabes.

Samba reportedly built a temple for Surya at %uulasthaanapura )%ultan, +akistan* on the

banks of 0andrabhaagaa river. !he temple is described in the writings of Hiuen !sang and

#rab geographers #l /drisi and #bu Ishak al Ishtakhri. +uranas also refer to Saambaaditya

installed at %athura.

Brhatsamhitaarefers to %agas )from %agi, the %ithra or %ihira-worshipping priests of Iran*

who were entitled to install the images of Surya in temples )0h. ?C, V.7C*. Brhatsamhitaa

describes that (the god should be dressed in the fashion of a northerner, )his body* from the

feet up to the breast being covered. He should wear a crown and hold two lotus flowers by

their stalks. His face should be adorned with ear-rings, he should wear a long necklace...(

)0h. ?4, A@-AE*.

Yajnavalkyasuutra@$om5a# edition, 1092, p. 09 states that graha#a/na should 5e

performed 5# one 6ho desired peace and prosperit#, ample rains @for his crops,

long life and nourishment, and @5# him 6ho 6ants to harm his enemiesB the

figures of Sur#a, Soma @moon, the son of the earth @-angala, -ars, the son of

Soma @$udha, -ercur#, $rhaspati @Cuipter, Su!ra @:enus, Sani @Saturn, ahu

and &etu should 5e made of copper, cr#stal, red sandal @6ood, gold @in the caseof $udha and $rhaspati, silver, iron, lead and 5ellmetal respectivel#B 8r these

figures should 5e dra6n on canvas in their respective colours, or in the mandalas

made of scented paste @sandal 6ood pastethese are of the lepa/aa variet#. This

teDt and man# other teDts li!e :ishnudharmottara, Agnipuraana,

Amsumad5hedaagama, Silparatna descri5e their forms... Stone sla5s 6ith these

grahas are usuall# standing. @Citendra ;ath $aner/ea, The Development of Hindu

Iconography, elhi, -unshiram -anoharlal, 19(*, p. ''%'''

Surya, in Hindu mythology and religion, the sun and the sun god.

#lthough in the Vedic period several other deities also possessed solar characteristics, most

of these were merged into a single god in later Hinduism. Surya once ranked together with

Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti, and &anesha, and many temples dedicated to him are found

throughout India.
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!he P#ranas record that the weapons of the gods were forged from pieces trimmed from

Surya, whose full emanation was too bright to bear. His power was conceived of as

dispelling darkness, curing disease, and heating and illuminating the world. His wife 3sas--

in some accounts, his mother or mistress--is the personification of dawn.

Sculptures of Surya often show him in DnorthernD or Scythian dress--close-fitting coat and

high boots--suggesting an influence from Iranian sun cults.

In modern Hinduism he is worshiped as the supreme deity by only a small following, the

Saura sect, though he is invoked by all Hindus, and the Gayatri%mantra&uttered daily at

dawn by orthodox Hindus, is addressed to the sun. Surya is the mythological father of many

notable sons, including %anu )progenitor of the human race*, ama )lord of death*, the

#shvins )twin physicians to the gods*, arna )a great warrior of the Maha'harata*, and

Sugriva )king of monkeys*.

He is commonly represented in a chariot drawn by seven horses, or by a single horse with

seven heads, holding full-blown lotuses, his head surrounded by a nimbus or by rays.

Na(a!raha Ca$ra& )hichin!& Orissa *ca+ ,-th

c.nt+ A+D+/+ Th. ca$ra has t0.l(. s1"$.s an

r.sts "n its si. "n a l"t#s 1..stal+ 2lam.s iss#.

3r"m th. rim "3 th. 0h..l+ Th. !rahas ar.

arran!. insi. th. 'r"a rim "3 th. 0h..l+ S#rya

is s.at. in th. t"1 c.ntr.+ Rah# an ).t# ar. "n

.ith.r si. at th. '"tt"m+ On th. si.s ar.

car(.& "n. a'"(. th. "th.r& th. si4 "th.r

!rahas& thr.. "n .ith.r si.+ In th. c.ntr. "3 th.

0h..l is a thr..%3ac. *5/ 3"#r%arm. 3i!#r.

s.at. in 1amaasana 0ith its 3r"nt hans in th.

hyaana m#ra6 th. 3i!#r. 1.rha1s r.1r.s.nts

Brahma+


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2"#r !rahas7 Brhas1ati& S#$ra& Sani an Rah#& Sarnath *Sanst"n. 3ra!m.nt& E4hi'it N"+ ,89: in th. Inian

M#s.#m/+ Th. 3i.rc.%l""$in! Rah# is sh"0n "nly #1 t" th. 'r.ast& 0ith a !rinnin! 3ac.& r"#n 1r"tr#in! .y.s& hair

ti. #1 in a '#nch "3 s1iral c"ils risin! #10ars+ Rah# has his hans in tar1ana m#ra+

Brhas1ati& S#$ra an Sani ha(. .ach a hal" '.hin his h.a& an a r"sary in his ri!ht han6 th. l.3t hans "3

Brhas1ati an S#$ra h"l a 0at.r%1"t+ Sani;s l.3t han is 'r"$.n+ Th. c"m1l.t. sla' sh"#l ha(. c"ntain. .i!ht

!rahas *.4cl#in! ).t#/+ In B.n!al an East.rn Inian m.i.(al t.m1l.s& "nly .i!ht !rahas ar. .1ict. *.4cl#in!

).t#/+ In "n. sc#l1t#r. in Ash#t"sh M#s.#m& Calc#tta& .i!ht !rahas ar. sh"0n t"!.th.r 0ith Gan.sa as th. 3irst

.ity+

There are t6o temples for Sur#a in IndiaB one is in &onara! @near )uri, 8rissa and

the other is in Sur#anar!ovil @near &um5a!onam, Tamilnadu. $oth the temples

have 5een 5uilt 5# !ings of the =ola lineage.

Suryanarkovil temple for Surya was constructed by ulottunga 0ola in 7778 #.. #n

inscription in the temple states that the temple was built in the reigin of ulottungacoladeva

)7>@>-777E #..* and was called ulottungacola-%arttaandaalaya.

!he onarak temple was built < centuries later between 7


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7. Suryanarkovil )near umbakonam, !amilnadu*.

2. 2avagraha !emple at &uwahati in #ssam dates to the 74th century. !he temple is

located on 0hitrachal hill and was once a center for the study of astrology.

3. Sun !emple at andaha )5angaon* near Saharsa, 5ihar.

A. Sun !emple at &aya, 5ihar5. Sun !emplesB 3ttaraka temple near the 3ttara %aanas tank and the &ayaditya

temple on the river 9algu in 5ihar.

Sun !emple at &oalpara in #ssam - # relatively modern temple enshrines a circular

stone tablet with 7< #dityas with asyapa in the center.

@. !he Surya +ahar hill is virtually a picture gallery of archeological remains.

7. Sun !emple at $anakpur near 3daipur in $aasthan

Sun !emple at &alta near :aipur in $aasthan

Sun !emple at :haira +atan near ota in $aasthanB $uins of an ancient temple

Sun !emple at %odhera near #hmedabad in &uarat

E. $uins of well known 77th century temple intricately sculpted

9. Sun !emple at Somnath +atan near Veraval in &uarat

7>.#ncient temple with interesting sculpture dating back to the period of the Somnath

temple, near a rebuilt Somnath temple of the #hilyabai Holkar period.

11. Sun !emple at %adkheda near !ikamgadh, %adhya +radesh

Sun !emple at 3mri near !ikamgadh, %adhya +radesh

12. onarak )# world heritage site*

Sun Temple at Gaya, Bihar

!he ritual of offering pindas or offerings to the dead has been long associated with &aya and

has been mentioned in the epics. )Vaayupuraana*. !he Sun temple is an ancient structure in

&aya. 6fferings to the ancestors are made at the Surya unda or the akshina %aanas tank

in front of the temple.

Sun worship apparently was very popular in the %agadha region which included &aya.

2umerous old images of the Sun &od #ditya are found in the &aya region and there are still

"uite a number of sun worshippers in &aya. It is said that they may have descended from

the fire worshippers of 0entral #sia.
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In fact, the granite image of #ditya )this particular image here is also referred to as

akshinaarka* or the Sun &od worshipped here is portrayed as wearing a acket, a waist

girdle and high boots in the Iranian tradition.

Sun worship in the %agadha region has been mentioned in the +uranas and thus this temple

is said to be of very ancient origin. !he current structure dates back to the 78th century,

where the South Indian emperor +rataparudra of 1arangal is said to have built it.

&onara! @A 6orld heritage site

6ne of the most splendid temples dedicated to Surya is the Surya eula)DSun !empleD*,

once called the 5lack +agoda, at &onara!, in 6rissa, on the 5ay of 5engal coast. !here, the

whole structure is conceived as a chariot on wheels in which the sun god rides across the

heavens pulled by prancing horses. !he 5lack +agoda was used as a navigation landmark by

mariners sailing to 0alcutta. 2ever completed and falling into ruins before its restoration,

the temple represents the culmination of the 6rissan school of temple architecture. In its

original form, the deul was feet high.

!he temple was dedicated to the sun god Surya' it was designed to represent his chariot,

with 7< huge carved stone wheels and 4 stone horses around its base. !he Surya eula is

about 7>> feet )8> m* high and would have surpassed > feet )@> m* in height at its

completion. !he exterior is covered with sculptured decorations, many depicting erotic

scenes.
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;egends say that Samba, the son of ;ord rishna, was afflicted by leprosy, brought about by

his father(s curse on him. #fter 7< years of penance, he was cured by Surya, the Sun &od,

in whose honour he built this temple.

heel depicted on the !onarak Temple7

5uilt by $aa 2arsimhadeva of the &anga dynasty, in the 78th century #, the temple is a

pageant of human grandeur, in its perception, and in the execution of even the finest

details. It resembles a colossal chariot, with 8 #.., by the then

5ritish ;t. &overnor of 5engal, to save it from deterioration.

sun worship in india

Documents

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ana temple

ahar temple

bhramanya dev temple

madhya pradeshhttp

andhra pradeshhttp

surya pahar

vedic hymns of ancient