Surya bhagavan (the god sun)

Surya Bhagavan, generally known as Surya, is one of the  top divinities in Hinduism. He represents the Sun and is  deified as the source of life and energy. His history and significance span across  colorful ancient  textbooks,  myths, and  societies within Hinduism and beyond.   Origins and Textual References   Surya is prominently featured in the Vedas, the oldest sacred  textbooks of Hinduism. In the Rigveda, the  foremost of the four Vedas, Surya is described as the dispeller of darkness and the bringer of light. He's  frequently depicted riding a chariot driven by seven  nags, emblematizing the seven colors of light or the seven days of the week. The Rigveda contains  multitudinous hymns praising Surya, invoking him for health, substance, and protection.   The  significance of Surya continues in the after Vedic  textbooks,  similar as the Yajurveda and the Atharvaveda, where he's associated with  colorful rituals and  offerings. In these  textbooks, Surya isn't only a physical  reality but also a spiritual force, representing the soul and  knowledge.   Mythological Significance   In Hindu  tradition, Surya is considered the son of the  savant Kashyapa and Aditi, the  mama  of the gods. His siblings include other prominent divinities  similar as Indra and Agni. Surya's consorts are Saranyu, Ragyi, and Prabha, and his children include notable  numbers like Yama( the god of death) and Yamuna( a sacred swash).   One of the most popular myths involving Surya is the story of his  woman

             Saranyu, who,  unfit to bear his  violent radiance, created a shadow of herself named Chhaya and left her in her place. Chhaya bore Surya several children, leading to  colorful complications and conflicts among the  seed, which are  recited in  textbooks like the Mahabharata and the Puranas.   Surya is also central to the story of Lord Hanuman's birth. Anjana, Hanuman's  mama ,  supplicated to Surya for a boon, leading to Hanuman being blessed with immense strength and devotion. Hanuman  latterly came a  convert of Surya, learning the  Holy Writ and the art of shapeshifting from him.   Iconography and Worship   Surya is  generally depicted as a resplendent deity with a golden complexion, adorned with  beautifiers, and seated on a chariot driven by Aruna, his charioteer. The chariot is drawn by seven  nags or one  steed with seven heads, representing the seven chakras in  mortal body or the seven colors of the diapason.   Surya's  deification is one of the oldest practices in Hinduism. The Surya Namaskar( Sun Salutation), a sequence of twelve yoga postures, is performed at  daylight to  recognize Surya and harness his energy. This practice is believed to ameliorate physical health,  internal clarity, and spiritual well- being.   tabernacles and Carnivals   multitudinous  tabernacles  devoted to Surya  live across India, with some of the most  notorious bones

             being the Konark Sun Temple in Odisha, the Modhera Sun Temple in Gujarat, and the Surya Narayana Temple in Arasavalli, Andhra Pradesh. These  tabernacles are architectural  sensations,  frequently aligned with the equinoxes and solstices to allow the first  shafts of the sun to illuminate the sanctum sanctorum.   The  jubilee of Makar Sankranti, celebrated in January, marks the transition of the Sun into the  wheel sign of Capricorn. This  jubilee is observed with great  vehemence, involving rituals like taking holy dips in gutters, offering prayers to Surya, and flying  harpies. Chhath Puja,  generally celebrated in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, is another significant  jubilee  devoted to Surya, where addicts offer prayers to the setting and rising sun.   Surya in Other societies   The  deification of the Sun isn't confined to Hinduism. Surya has parallels in  colorful ancient  societies. In ancient Egypt, Ra was the Sun God,  frequently depicted with a solar slice. The Greek  fellow, Helios, rode a chariot across the sky. In Roman  tradition, Sol Invictus( the Unconquered Sun) was an important deity, and  numerous Roman emperors promoted his  deification.   Philosophical and Emblematic Aspects   Philosophically, Surya represents the Atman( soul) and Brahman( the universal spirit). In the Upanishads, he's considered a symbol of the loftiest reality and  knowledge. The Gayatri Mantra, one of the most hallowed chants in Hinduism, is  devoted to Surya in his aspect as Savitr, the life- giver.   Surya's  part as the illuminator is emblematic  of the  trip from ignorance to knowledge, from darkness to light. He's the eternal  substantiation, overseeing the  conduct of all beings and  disbanding the  murk of  mistrustfulness and fear.   Conclusion   Surya Bhagavan, as the Sun God, occupies a central place in Hinduism. His  deification, deeply bedded in the religious, artistic, and spiritual fabric of Indian society, underscores the profound recognition of the Sun's vital  part in sustaining life on Earth. From ancient hymns to grand  tabernacles, from  diurnal rituals to periodic carnivals, Surya's presence is a testament to humanity's enduring reverence for the elysian source of light and energy.