In Hindu mythology, the Sun is worshipped as Lord Surya. He is an important Vedic deity worshipped as the God of Light who keeps watch over the world during the day. In the Zodiac, Sun occupies the most prominent place in the center.
In the ancient Hindu text of the Vedas, Lord Surya is pictured as riding a golden chariot driven by seven swift horses. The seven horses of dawn represent 7 days of the week. Surya creates day and night, bestows vitality to all living organisms and rids them of lethargy and ailments. Lord Surya is said to represent Lord Brahma during the day, Lord Shiva at noon and Lord Vishnu in the evening. The sun is also represented by a golden wheel or as a circle with radiating rays or even the open flower of a lotus. The most common representation is in the form of a Swastika.
There are numerous temples in India dedicated to Lord Surya, the most famous of them being the Sun Temple of Konark, in Orissa.
