Surya

About Surya

Surya rides a chariot with a single wheel pulled by seven horses, driven by his charioteer Aruna — the dawn. He is the son of the sage Kashyapa, glows red like the Bandhuka flower, and holds a white lotus. The Aditya Hridayam is the hymn sage Agastya gave Rama on the battlefield, moments before he killed Ravana. The Suryashtakam was spoken by Krishna's son Samba after Surya cured his skin disease. Twelve names — Mitra, Ravi, Bhanu, Pushan, Savitr, Bhaskara and others — match the twelve poses of Surya Namaskar. His grandest shrine is the chariot-shaped Konark temple in Odisha.