In Hinduism, the Sun is one of the most powerful deities. He is a God with incredible abilities and abilities. In a Vedic chant, the Rig Veda — India’s oldest literature – portrays the divine and strong Surya. He is the origin of the universe and the ultimate source of light. In Hinduism, the Sun is regarded to be one of the most ancient Gods. Many other religions around the world, in addition to Hinduism, adore the Sun because of his magnificence and grace.

Sun is depicted in Hindu mythology as riding a chariot drawn by seven horses. The seven Chakras of the human body, as well as rainbow hues, are represented by these horses. He frequently wears a lotus as a sign of life, as well as Sankha (conch), Chakara (discus), and Gada (discussion) (mace). Because of his amazing ability to foster life on Earth and his healing abilities, Surya is ranked higher than many Gods. Surya is regarded as the Virata Purusha’s eye in Hinduism (The universal form or Supreme Being). Many people worship Surya as one of the five greatest Gods, including saints, asuras, rakshasas, and humans.

Forms and popular names of Surya

Surya is worshipped in a variety of ways, but the most popular are Arka and Mitra. Surya is revered in the form of Arka in India’s northern and eastern states. In ancient times, countless temples dedicated to Surya’s devotion were established. The Konark Temple in Orissa, the Uttararka and Lolarka in Uttar Pradesh, the Balarka temple in Rajasthan, and the Sun Temple in Modhera, Gujarat are among the most prominent and well-known temples. A Balarka Surya Mandir was established in Uttar Pradesh in the tenth century, but it was destroyed by the Turkish invasion in the fourteenth century. Surya also has another name, Mitra, which is predominantly prevalent in Gujarat. Mitra is a Gujarati word that translates to “friend.”

Moreover, Lord Surya is called by 108 names in Hinduism. Some of the common names among them are Aditya, Adideva, Angaraka, Arka, Bhaga, Brahma, Dhanwantari, Dharmadhwaja, Dhatri, Dhumaketu, Indra, Jaya, Maitreya, Prabhakara, Ravi, Rudra, Savitri, Soma, Teja, Vaisravana, Vanhi, Varun and Vishnu.

How to worship the Sun God and its benefits?

The benefits of worshipping Surya every morning are numerous. It increases energy, confidence, and communication. By removing the bad consequences of Grah Dosh, it welcomes peace and harmony into one’s life. Surya prayers have the capacity to assist us overcome our difficulties and bestow health and fortune. Surya deva is primarily worshipped by those wanting success, courage, strength, and a healthy body.

There is a specific way to worship God Surya that must be followed in order to achieve the intended results. Bathing is the first step in worship since it cleanses your body, soul, and mind. If you want to fast, you should start with the first dawn of the day and end with the second sunrise of the day. It is necessary to worship Lord Ganesha before beginning Surya Puja. After the puja, according to our scriptures, it is advised that you donate garments to a Brahmin. To worship Suryadev, you’ll also need Rudraksha mala, kumkum, mouli, Surya Yantra, hawan kund samagri, prasad, ghee, fruits, betel leaves, and coconut. The following are the steps of performing Surya Puja:

• Start with bathing
• Always remember to wear fresh and clean clothes when offering puja to the sun
• Pray to the rising sun in the morning
• Face the east direction or the rising sun direction while performing the puja
• Sprinkle a drop of Ganga-Jal on the head to purify yourself and start praying to Lord Ganesha before worshipping the Sun God
• Take a copper vessel and fill it with honey to offer it to Lord Surya
• Offer it to God Surya. The best time to offer water to Surya is within an hour of Sunrise. Look at the sun and concentrate on God while pouring the water to the ground
• Lotus is the favorable flower however, you can use any flower to offer God
• Apply tilak uttering the Surya name; you can use Chandan or kumkum as tilak
• Chant Gayatri mantra or listen to Aditya Hridya Stotram. You can also recite “Om Ghrinim Surya Adityamu” while offering water to the sun for at least eleven times
• Do meditation under the sun for 5-7 minutes
• Later, touch poured water on the ground and apply a drop of it on your head and eyes to feel immediate peace. Ensure that you don’t step on the water.

Here, your Surya puja is complete. Repeat it every day to get the blessing from God. Some of the incredible benefits of offering regular water to Surya is that it makes you disciplined and maintains the body, mind and spirit balance. The first ray of Sun inspires for early success in daily life. It grants you all pleasures, good health and wealth in life.

According to ancient Indian custom, offering Arghya to the sun gives you mental, physical and practical endurance that overcomes every conflict. Regular worshipping makes one a scholar, master of pithy with effective voice and intelligent. At the same time, it removes ego, anger, greed, desire and evil thoughts from a person’s mind.