Ratha-Saptami
or Rathasapthami (Magha Saptami) is a Hindu festival that falls on the seventh
day (Saptami) in the bright half (Shukla Paksha) of the Hindu month Maagha. It
is symbolically represented in the form of the Sun God Surya turning his Ratha
(Chariot) drawn by seven horses (representing seven colours) towards the
northern hemisphere, in a north-easternly direction. It also marks the birth of
Surya and hence celebrated as Surya Jayanti (the Sun-god’s birthday).
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.
Sun
worship is deep rooted in the Vedas of the Hindu religion and its antiquity
also relates to several mythologies of the world such as that of China, Egypt
and Mesopotamia. The Gayatri Mantra japa – the sacred Vedic chants to Savitru
(Sun god) – is recited by the Hindus every day with great reverence. As the
puranic Hinduism evolved, the worship of Sun was established.
In
the Rig Veda Mandala 10 (Hymn 85), the sun god's bride seated on a chariot
pulled by two steeds is mentioned. This symbolism is therefore common to both
Norse mythology and Vedic history.
Religious significance
Ratha-Saptami is symbolically represented in the form of the Sun God Surya turning his Ratha (Chariot) drawn by seven horses, with 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.
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 Ugadi or the
Hindu lunar New Year day in the month of Chaitra.
Legends
Ratha-Saptami
also marks the birth of Surya to sage Kashyapa and his wife Aditi and hence
celebrated as Surya Jayanti (the Sun-god’s birthday). A legend is narrated by
the Kamboj 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.
Sun temples
There
are Surya temples all across India where Ratha Sapthami is fervently
celebrated. However, the most famous one is the World Heritage Site of the
Konarak Sun Temple, in Konark, Orissa. Besides Konark, there is another sun
temple in Orissa, the Biranchi Narayan Temple (Biranchi khetra) in Buguda,
Ganjam District. There are sun temples in Modhera, Gujarat, created by king
Bhimdev of the Chaulukya dynasty, in Arasavalli, Andhra Pradesh and in clusters
of Navagraha temples in Tamil Nadu and Assam. The Sun Temple at Martand (Jammu
and Kashmir) and Sun Temple of Multan are temples, which were destroyed during
Muslim conflicts in the past.
Religious observances
God Vishnu in his form as Surya (the Sun-God) is usually worshipped on this day. Usually, Rathasapthami begins in households with a purification bath (bathing is also done in a river or sea) by holding several Ekka leaves on their head while bathing and chanting a verse which is supposed to invoke the benevolence of the Lord in all that one indulges in during the rest of the year. Argyam or (Tharpana) (water held in the palms) is offered to the Sun God on this day while chanting hymns are performed to the Sun God. It also involves doing a puja with the ritual Naivedhya (food offering to God), and offering of flowers and fruits. Important prayers offered to the Sun god on this occasion are the Adityahridayam, Gayathri, Suryashtakam, Surya Sahasram namam. The preferred time for the pooja is within one hour after sunrise. In places like Mysore and Melkote, ceremonial processions carry the Surya Mandala - the icon of Surya.
Arka
leaves (Ark/Ekka/Jilledu/Erukku) is also a synonym for Surya or Sun. Its
significance to Sun God could be compared to the significance of Tulsi leaves
to Vishnu. Arka leaves are also used for worship of god Ganesha known by the
name Arka Ganesha and also for Hanuman worship. Its stems, called samidha (sacrificial offerings of wood)
are used for the Yagna 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.
On this day, in South India, Kola 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 Vaishnavite temples such as the Tirumala, Srirangam, Srirangapattana and Melukote, Ratha-Saptami is one of the important festivals of the year. Annual Car Festival of Lord Veera Venkatesha of Sri Venkatramana Temple in Mangalore is held on this day and is famously known as Kodial Teru or Mangaluru Rathotsava. In Tirumala, on Ratha sapthami a one-day Brahmotsavam is held in Tirumala.