Ratha Saptami

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Ratha Saptami
Hindus
BeginsMagha Shukla Saptami
FrequencyAnnual
Related toWorship of Surya
See also: Ratha Sapthami

Ratha Saptami (

Magha.[4] It is symbolically represented in the form of the sun-god Surya turning his ratha (chariot) drawn by seven horses (representing the seven colours) towards the northern hemisphere, in a north-easternly direction. It also marks the birth of Surya and is hence also celebrated as Surya Jayanti (the sun-god’s birthday).[5]

Ratha Saptami is symbolic of the change of season to spring and the start of the harvesting season. For most Indian farmers, it is an auspicious beginning of the New Year. The festival is observed by all Hindus in their houses and in innumerable temples dedicated to Surya, across India.[6][7][8]

Background

Surya's chariot
See also:
Puranic Hinduism evolved, the worship of the sun was consolidated.[7][8]

In the

Rigveda Mandala 10/Hymn 85
, the sun god's bride seated on a chariot pulled by two steeds is mentioned.

The relevant verses (translated from Sanskrit by Ralph Griffith) are as follows:

Her spirit was the bridal car; the covering thereof was heaven: Bright were both Steeds that drew it when Surya approached her husband's home.
Thy Steeds were steady, kept in place by holy verse and Sama-hymn: All cars were thy two chariot wheels: thy path was tremulous in the sky,
Clean, as thou wentest, were thy wheels wind, was the axle fastened there. Surya, proceeding to his Lord, mounted a spirit-fashionied car.

Religious significance

Ratha Saptami is symbolically represented in the form of the sun god

Aruṇa as the charioteer, towards the northern hemisphere, in a north-easterly direction. The symbolic significance of the ratha and the seven horses reigned to it is that it represents the seven colours of the rainbow. The seven horses are also said to represent the seven days of a week starting with Sunday, the day of Sun god Surya. The chariot has 12 wheels, which represents the 12 signs (each of 30 degrees) of the Zodiac (360 degrees) and constituting a full year, named Samvatsara. The Sun’s own house is Leo (Simha) and he moves from one house to the next every month and the total cycle takes 365 days to complete. The Ratha Saptami festival seeks the benevolent cosmic spread of energy and light from the sun god.[6]

Ratha Saptami also marks the gradual increase in temperature across South India and awaits the arrival of spring, which is later heralded by the festival of Gudi Padwa, Ugadi, or the Hindu lunar New Year day in the month of Chaitra.

Legends

Ratha Saptami also marks the birth of Surya to sage

Kamboja empire’s King Yashovarma, a noble king who had no heir to rule his kingdom. On his special prayers to God, he was blessed with a son. The king’s vows did not end with this, as his son was terminally ill. A saint who visited the king advised that his son should perform the Ratha Saptami pooja (worship) with reverence to rid of his past sins. Once the King’s son performed this, his health was restored and he ruled his kingdom well.[citation needed
]

Sun temples

Sun Temples in India
Surya idol at Konarak temple Sun Temple, Modhera Arsavalli

There are Surya temples all across India where Ratha Sapthami is fervently celebrated. However, the most famous one is the

Sun Temple of Multan are temples, which were destroyed by muslim invaders in the past.[6]

Religious observances

Surya, the sun god

Melkote, ceremonial processions carry the Surya Mandala
- the icon of Surya. [9]

Arka (in

Kannada
), Jilledu in
yajna ritual as a sacrificial offering to a ritual fire. Its shape is said to represent the shoulders and chariot of sun god. Its use during the ritualistic ceremonious bath involves placement of seven leaves - one on the head, two on the shoulders, two on the knees and two on the feet.[6]
On this day, in South India, Kolam is drawn with coloured rice powder depicting a chariot and seven horses as symbolic of the Ratha Saptami. Cowdung cake is also burnt at the centre of this depiction and milk boiled on the fire is offered to the sun god. In some of the important
Srirangapattana and Melukote, Ratha Saptami is one of the important festivals of the year. The ratha yatra of Veera Venkatesha of Sri Venkatramana Temple in Mangalore
is held on this day and is famously known as Kodial Teru or Mangaluru Rathotsava.

Tirumala

On Ratha Saptami, a one-day

brahmotsavam in Tirumala.[10]

See also

Other Sun festivals

References

[11]

  1. ^ "2015 Hindu Festivals Calendar".
  2. ^ "2017 Marathi Panchang Calendar". Retrieved 2016-10-22.
  3. ^ "January 2018 Marathi Panchang Calendar". Retrieved 2017-10-05.
  4. ^ "Ratha Saptami 2013 Date". hindusphere.com. Retrieved 30 January 2013. Ratha Saptami falls on the Magha Sukla Paksha Saptami i.e on the seventh day of the waxing phase of the moon in the month of Magha.
  5. ^ "Tirumala TTD Ratha Saptami Ardha Brahmotsavam 2019 Schedule". TTO. 7 February 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Rathasaptahmi". Scribd. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
  7. ^ a b "Hindu Fasts and Festivals". Ratha Saptami. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
  8. ^
    ISBN 978-1-59682-117-0. Retrieved 2009-11-26. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help
    )
  9. ^ a b "Mysore, Melkote witness Ratha Sapthami processions". Mysore Samachar. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
  10. ^ K, Kandaswamy (28 August 2021). "Ratha Saptami in Tirumala Tirupati". Live Trend. K Kandaswamy. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  11. ^ "Ratha Saptami - Arasavalli,rathasaptami arasavalli".
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