Lord Surya

Hinduism worships both the Sun and the Sun deity as Surya. Even while many other deities had solar traits throughout the Vedic period (1500–5th century BCE), most of them were combined into one god in later Hinduism. Surya has numerous temples throughout India, and he previously shared the same status as Ganesha, Vishnu, Shiva, and Shakti. A group of Brahmans (priests), the Smartas, worship those five deities, but only a small group, the Saura sect, regards Surya as the highest deity. However, the majority of Hindus invoke him, and the Gayatri mantra, which is chanted by many Hindus every day at dawn, is dedicated to the Sun.

Manu, the ancestor of the human species, Yama, the deity of the dead, the Ashvins, twin doctors to the gods, Karna, a legendary warrior in the Mahabharata, and Sugriva are all fabled offspring of Surya (king of the monkeys in the Ramayana). According to the Puranas, a compilation of Hindu myths and tales, Surya's complete emission was too bright to bear, therefore portions were taken from Surya and used to manufacture the gods' weapons. His power was imagined to be capable of eradicating darkness, curing illness, and warming and enlightening the entire planet.