In the Hindu pantheon, there are countless gods and goddesses and most of them are depicted in the Hindu temples. Including trinity gods - Siva, Vishnu and Brahma, certain deities are worshipped on certain days. Methods of worship, rituals and offerings (neivedhyam) differ among them. In order to propitiate the deities Shastras suggest days of prayer for some gods.
God Shiva is worshipped on Mondays; Hanuman ji on Tuesdays; Lord Ganesha on Wednesdays; Lord Vishnu on Thursdays; goddesses like Durga and others on Fridays and Shani Bhagavan, Hanuman and goddess Kali on Saturdays and Sun God on Sundays.
Sunday is considered to be an auspicious day for Sun God / Surya. On this day, offerings, pujas, etc to the Sun, will give you success, confidence and positive attitude. Worshipping sun God will remove ignorance and negativity around you.
The following are the famous Surya temples in India.
01. Konarak Sun temple, Odisha:
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| Konarak Sun temple, Konarak, Odisha. |
Konarak Sun temple built in 13th-century CE (year 1250) is a UNESCO world heritage site (declared in 1984) and is a major tourist attraction not only in India but also from abroad. Every year the temple comes alive during the Chandrabhaga Mela in February. It is located at Konark about 35 kilometres NE of temple town Puri (famous for jagannath temple) on the coastal Odisha state. Built by king Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty about 1250 CE, the popular sun temple complex resembles a 100-foot (30 m) high chariot with huge wheels and horses, all carved from stone. Much of the temple complex is in ruins for various reasons; one being destruction by the invasion of Muslim rulers in the 15th and 17th centuries.
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| South Indian worship the Sun during Pongal / Sankaranthi festival.vectorstock.com |
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| 1815 sketch of stone horses and wheels of the mandapa. upload.wikimedia.org |
In Hindu Vedic iconography ''Surya'' symbolizes the sun as rising in the east and traveling rapidly across the sky in a chariot drawn by seven horses. which horses are referred to as Gayatri, Brihati, Ushnih, Jagati, Trishtubha, Anushtubha, and Pankti. The two women flanking Surya represent the dawn goddesses, Usha and Pratyusha. The goddesses are seen as shooting arrows, a symbol of their efforts to get rid of darkness. The architecture is a representation of a chariot with twelve pairs of wheels corresponding to the 12 months of the Hindu calendar, each month paired into two cycles (Shukla and Krishna paksha). Here,way back in the 13th CE the whole structure is conceived as a chariot on wheels in which the Sun god rides across the heavens
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konark_Sun_Temple
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| Chitragupta Temple,Western Group , Khajuraho, M P, alamy.com |
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| Chitragupta Temple,Western Group , Khajuraho, M P, alamy.com |
The Chitragupta Temple is the only temple in the whole of Khajuraho complex dedicated to the Sun God (Surya). It is in the north of the Jagadambi Temple and is on the same platform as the Kandariya Mahadev and Jagdambi Temples.
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| Chitragupta Temple,Western Group , Khajuraho, M P. ourismindia.co.in |
The architecture of this temple is very similar to that of Jagadambi temple with more or less similar garbagriha / sanctum, prathakshana path, a vestibule, a Mahamandapa and most importantly an entrance porch. The impressive feature is the ornate ceiling in the hall. The temple has two balconies and in the sanctum is consecrated a fine idol of God Surya riding a chariot, drawn by seven horses. Three similar figures are also carved on the lintel of the doorway.
On the exterior walls of the temple are sculpted numerous erotic couples, nymphs of the Sun God and a 11-headed Vishnu sculpture. This sculpture shows God Vishnu with ten avatars.
https://www.tripadvisor.in/ShowUserReviews-g297647-d2708719-r649645685-Chitragupta_Temple-Khajuraho_Chhatarpur_District_Madhya_Pradesh.htm
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03. Surya Narayana Temple, Arasavalli, AP:
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| Suryanarayana temple, Arasavalli, AP. timesofindia.indiatimes.com |
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| Suryanarayana temple Arasavalli, AP. wikipedia. |
Arasavalli Sun Temple in Arasavalli Village about 1 km east of Srikakulam Town of Andhra pradesh is a pretty old Hindu temple. A famous temple of Lord Surya (Sun god) it is believed to have been built in the 7th century CE by Kalinga king Devendra Varma; the present structure is of recent origin - 18th century. The temple is still being visited by lots of dvotees today and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the town. This temple is considered one of the oldest sun temples in India.
The legend has it once Indira, unmindful of Dwarapalaka Nandi's warning tried to enter the precincts of God Shiva (Sri Rudrakoteswara Swamy) at a wrong time when God was resting with his consort Parvati. Infuriated Nandi (bull), being a guard at the gate, gave a powerful kick and injured Indira fell on to the earth unconscious. In his unconscious state Indira had a dream of building a temple for Surya to get rid of his pain and injury. Upon regaining his consciousness, he decided to build a temple and accidentally, he unearthed an idol of Surya with three consorts Usha, Chaya and Padmini The black stone idol is depicted as riding a chariot drawn by 7 horses with Anura as sarathi.
It is one of the two ancient Sun temples inin this part of India and the other one is the Konark Sun Temple. In the former, according Padmapuranam, the idol of Surya was consecrated by sage Kasyapa for the benefits of the people. and god's gotra is Kashyaba. The stone inscription mention that the temple came up during the period of Devendra Varma and the temple underwent major renovation in the 18th and 19th centuries. Apparently, the temple fell into disuse for a long span of time. Reconstruction was done in 1778 CE by Elamanchili Pullaji Panthulu. This temple has fine architectural features that match those skills of Vishwakarma Brahmins or Maharanas of Odisha. The striking feature of this temple is the early morning rays of the sun fall on the feet of the deity twice a year (Uttaraynam - March 9-11 and Dakshinayam - October 1-3),
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suryanarayana_Temple,_Arasavalli
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04. The Bhramanya Dev Temple at Unao, Madhya Pradesh:
The sun is revered as an important source of energy in the Indian system of beliefs without which there will be no rains and no agricultural products. Unao in Madhya Pradesh near Jhansi has a Sun temple which is visited by a large number of devotees. The Bhramanya Dev Temple in Unao known as the Baramju temple, was once patronized by the Maratha rulers. The reason for its popularity is, it is believed, that people with severe eye and skin ailments can find great relief if they trust the god and offer sincere prayer here.
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| The Brahmanya Dev temple,Unao near Jhansi |
The metal covered God's idol is on a platform that is covered with black plates. A unique feature is 21 triangles symbolic of 21 phases of the sun are engraved in the shrine. On Sundays (being auspicious days) special pujas are held for the sun god here.
http://www.templenet.com/Madhya/unao.html.
http://bhaaratdarshan.com/https://www.pilgrimaide.com/temples/brahmanya-dev-temple--sun-temple-balaji-dham
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05. Martand Sun temple, Jammu:
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| Martand Sun temple, Jammu,en.wikipedia.org |
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| in ruins.Martand Sun temple,Jammu,Central shrine.commons.wikimedia.org |
The Martand Sun Temple dedicated to Surya of Jammu, India, about 5 miles from Anantnag is in ruins. Atop the hill from where one can view the Kashmir valley, it was destroyed during the reign of Muslim ruler Sikandar Shah Miri. Martand in ''Sanskrit'' means Surya. The builder was the third ruler of the Karkota Dynasty, Lalitaditya Muktapida, in the 8th century CE (built during 725-756 CE). Records mention that the foundation for the temple was laid between 370 to 500 CE. It is believed to be the only sun temple in the entire north India. Other sun temples are at Konark in Odisha and in Gujarat. on the east and west respectively.
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| Martland suntemple, kashmir, shutterstock.com |
