Ratha Saptami

Ratha Saptami is a Hindu festival that celebrated on the seventh day in the bright half of the lunar movement in the Hindu month Maagha. It connotes the Sun’s change of direction towards the northern hemisphere of the equinox, which is referred as Uttarayana in Sanskrit. Sun would travel approximately six months’ time in the northern part of equinox, afterwards coming back for southern side movement which is referred as Dakshinayana.

While vedic astrology and scientific astronomy aligning this fact, under religious connotations and observations through ancient scriptures called Puranas, the Sun taken as a Hindu deity, with his chariot pulled by seven horses and driven by a charioteer Aruna, is worshiped by Hindus on the occasion of his departing his course of movement from Dakshinayana to Uttarayana, offering prayers and seeking his blessings.

By science, mythology and faith, Sun the fiery character is considered the generator of energy, Ratha Saptami celebrations and rituals go only as an acknowledgement to the Sun God, and passing through His Chariot (Ratha) with his seven horses (Saptami) is an interpretation of this festival in India.

History

Sun worship is an ardent faith that Hindus have and a ritual they follow on the basis of puranic literature, Vedic hymns and incidents that are narrated in the two great epics that govern the ethical path of members of this religion.

Vedic rituals are generally followed on all occasions of planetary movements, for instance on New Moon days or on the days the Sun enters a particular sign of Zodiac, and orthodox members of Hinduism do religious rites with prayers to their ancestors who are not living. Such rituals are undergone when there are eclipses, Lunar or Solar. These rituals are expected to be done by a chaste Brahmin on 96 occasions in a year. These rituals are done only by male members who represent their clan of the family as such member’s parents must have parted away.

Ratha Saptami also falls in one of these 96 occasions, however, it is more popularly celebrated by all the members of the family particularly womenfolks, in praise of the Sun, due to various anecdotal information that the epics and Puranas have been in transmission from time immemorial.

As a legend goes, a king called Yashovarma was blessed with a child after a long wait upon prayers to God, however, the son got into terminal illness. On this moment a saint advised him to observe Ratha Saptami puja to Sun God to get rid of his own sins, which he did. There upon his son’s health was restored and lived happily forever.

It is said that sage Agasthya recommended to Lord Rama to worship Surya to win Ravana in the war and taught him Aditya Hridayamupadesha before the war commenced and Surya’s energy helped Lord Rama to sustain the demonic power of Ravan.

Likewise, in Mahabharat, Yuddhistira is said to have got the plentiful Akshaya bowl after worshipping Sun God. Sathrajith obtained syamanthaka Mani by worshipping Sun God. Lord Sri Krishna’s son Sambha and Jambavathi got cured from their Leprosy after worshipping Sun. Lord Hanuman learnt Nava vyakarana only from Sun. Bhishma Pitamaha of Mahabharat waited for day which is now celebrated Ratha Sapthami and also Bheeshmaastami.

On the basis of the above observations, Ratha Sapthami is observed as a Hindu festival in India.

Celebrations in Temples

There are a number of Sun temples across India where Ratha Sapthami is celebrated.

Among them, the Konark Sun Temple, in Orissa, which is a world heritage site, is a place where Ratha Sapthami is celebrated in a grand manner. Apart from Konark another sun temple in Orissa called Biranchi Narayan Temple is a place where again Ratha Sapthami is celebrated well.

The sun temples at Modhera, Gujarat, at Arasavalli, Andhra Pradesh and Suryanarayana temple in Tamilnadu are also places where Ratha Sapthami is celebrated.

On Ratha Sapthami day a Brahmotsavam is held in Tirumala Balaji temple at Tirupati, when the presiding deity is taken in procession with his divine consorts Sridevi and Bhudevi around the temple.

The Festival

On this auspicious day, the festivity at homes will be in the form of women decorating the house with rangoli drawing figure of the Sun God with 7 horses in a chariot.

On that day, married women take holy bath with 7 Erukkam (Tamil) leaves (Ekka in Kannada, Arka in Sanskrit, Jillidu in Telugu, and Bowstring Hemp in English) placed on their body with a pinch of turmeric soaked raw rice on top of the leaf.  There are positions defined for keeping these leaves, such as one leaf on the head, two on the shoulders, two on knees and two on the feet

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