Author: --- | Last Updated: Sun 4 Sep 2011 9:58:13 AM
On the last day of the month of Kartik, the last of Aghran and every intervening Sunday, the worship of Surjya or the Sun God is performed. The Hindu Apollo is represented as a dark-red man with three eyes and four arms. In two arms he holds water-lily and by the other he bestows blessing. By the fourth arm he forbids fear. He sits on a red water-lily and rays emanate from his body.
On this event no image of god is made. A small earthen pot is used as the object of worship. The said pot is painted in red and on the top one plantain leaf and two betel leaves are placed. The offerings consist of red flowers, dub-grass, rice boiled in milk (paramanna) and rice-cakes (pishtak). Food of this soft description is presented to Surjya owing to his being destitute of the organs of mastication. Its believed that all the teeths were knocked out of his mouth by a giant named Bir Bhadra at the celebrated festival of the gods.
The principal benefit expected from this worship is preservation from disease. The special department of Surjya is to confer health, of Karthik is to give offspring, of Ganesha is to remove difficulties, of Durga is to satisfy all desires, of Shiva is to impart knowledge and of Vishnu is to bestow salvation.
The persons who receive the name of Surjya and adopt this god as their guardian deity are called Sauras. The practise is that they never eat till they have worshipped the Sun and when the Sun is entirely covered with clouds they fast. On a Sunday which is particularly consecrated to the Sun, the Sawasi as well as Hindus belonging to other sects worship this idol in a particular manner and some of them fast or at least partially abstain from animal food.