The sun god, eight-point sun, solar disc, sun disc

Cross-like symbol on the head of the standing figure of the god Surya carved in a buff-colored sandstone.

Indian religions: Hinduism

The sun god

The sacred traditions brought into India by the Indo-Aryans were eventually written down in texts known as the Vedas. The best known of these is the Rig Veda, dated to about 1200 BC. In this collection of hymns, one of the most important verses is known as Gayatri, which honors the sun god, Savitri:

'Let us think on the lovely splendor of the god Savitri, that he may inspire our minds.'

This holy and resonant verse is still used in many Hindu ceremonies, including the daily ritual when worshippers salute the rising sun at a water tank or on the banks of a river; it also occurs at the initiation ceremony or upanayana, when the sacred thread that demonstrates his caste is first tied on a brahmin boy.

A more common name for the solar deity is Surya. He is recognized either by the lotus blossoms he holds, or, like sun gods in other cultures, by his depiction riding across the sky in a horse-drawn chariot.

Worshippers at dawn on the bathing steps (ghats) of the river Ganges at Benares.
Photo: Douglas Dickens Photo Library

Supplementary images: