Ratha Saptami
ratha saptami sanskrit रथसप्तमी romanized rathasaptamī also rendered magha saptami hindu festival fall seventh day saptami bright half shukla paksha hindu month magha symbolically represented form sungod surya turning ratha chariot drawn seven horse representing seven colour towards northern hemisphere northeasternly direction also mark birth surya hence also celebrated surya jayanti sungod’s birthday ratha saptami symbolic change season spring start harvesting season indian farmer auspicious beginning new year festival observed hindu house innumerable temple dedicated surya across india sun worship deep rooted veda hindu religion antiquity also relates several mythology world china egypt mesopotamia gayatri mantra japa – sacred vedic chant savitr vedic sun god – popularly recited adherent puranic hinduism evolved worship sun consolidated rigveda mandala hymn sun god bride seated chariot pulled two steed mentioned relevant verse translated sanskrit ralph griffith follows spirit bridal car covering thereof heaven bright steed drew surya approached husband homethy steed steady kept place holy verse samahymn car thy two chariot wheel thy path tremulous skyclean thou wentest thy wheel wind axle fastened surya proceeding lord mounted spiritfashionied car ratha saptami symbolically represented form sun god surya turning ratha drawn seven horse aruṇa charioteer towards northern hemisphere northeasterly direction symbolic significance ratha seven horse reigned represents seven colour rainbow seven horse also said represent seven day week starting sunday day sun god surya chariot wheel represents sign degree zodiac degree constituting full year named samvatsara sun’s house leo simha move one house next every month total cycle take day complete ratha saptami festival seek benevolent cosmic spread energy light sun god ratha saptami also mark gradual increase temperature across south india awaits arrival spring later heralded festival gudi padwa ugadi hindu lunar new year day month chaitra ratha saptami also mark birth surya sage kashyapa wife aditi hence celebrated surya jayanti sungod’s birthday legend narrated kamboja empire’s king yashovarma noble king heir rule kingdom special prayer god blessed son king’s vow end son terminally ill saint visited king advised son perform ratha saptami pooja worship reverence rid past sin king’s son performed health restored ruled kingdom well surya temple across india ratha sapthami fervently celebrated however famous one world heritage site konarak sun temple konark odisha besides konark another sun temple odisha biranchinarayan temple buguda ganjam district sun temple modhera gujarat created king bhimdev chaulukya dynasty arasavalli andhra pradesh cluster navagraha temple tamil nadu assam sun temple martand jammu kashmir sun temple multan temple destroyed muslim invader past vishnu form surya usually worshipped day usually rathasapthami begin household purification bath bathing also done river sea holding several ekka calotropis gigantea leaf head bathing chanting verse supposed invoke benevolence deity one indulges rest year argyam tharpanam water held palm offered sun god day chanting hymn performed sun god also involves puja ritual naivedhya food offering god offering flower fruit important prayer offered sun god occasion adityahridayam gayathri suryashtakam surya sahasram namam preferred time pooja within one hour sunrise place like mysore melkote ceremonial procession carry surya mandala icon surya arka sanskrit meaning ray flash lightning leavesalso called aak hindi ekka kannada jilledu telugu erukku tamil calotropis gigantea bowstring hemp english arka also synonym surya sun significance sun god could compared significance tulasi ocimum tenuiflorum leaf vishnu arka leaf also used worship god ganesha known name arka ganesha also hanuman worship stem called samidha sacrificial offering wood used yajna ritual sacrificial offering ritual fire shape said represent shoulder chariot sun god use ritualistic ceremonious bath involves placement seven leaf one head two shoulder two knee two foot day south india kolam drawn coloured rice powder depicting chariot seven horse symbolic ratha saptami cowdung cake also burnt centre depiction milk boiled fire offered sun god important vaishnavite temple tirumala srirangam srirangapattana melukote ratha saptami one important festival year ratha yatra veera venkatesha sri venkatramana temple mangalore held day famously known kodial teru mangaluru rathotsava ratha saptami oneday brahmotsavam held tirumalaon day murtis presiding deity malayappa swamy along divine consort sridevi bhudevi taken procession processional street tirumala image circumambulate shrine venkateshvara seven different vahanas due reason day ratha saptami regarded minor brahmotsavam tirumala sun festival makara sankranti pongal chhath