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It is a festival in which the sun god( in the form of Surya Narayana) is worshipped. It is also celebrated as the birthday sun as the season changes from this day. It comes on the seventh day (SAPTHAMI) of the bright half of the eleventh month (MAGHA) of the Hindu calendar. The importance of this Rathasapthami is that the sun is moving from the makari rasi (i.e. capricon) to the kumbha rasi (i.e. Aquarius) which is known as kumbha sankramanam. It is said that on Rathasapthami a chariot formed by stars can be sighted.There are still festivals that have come down from generations together about worshipping the natural forces and Rathasapthami is one of them.Sun or Surya according to Hindu mythology means “The Supreme Light”. Sun is described having arms and hair of gold and drives through the heaven on a chariot pulled by seven horses which represent the seven colours of the rainbow with charioteer named Aruna. He is known as the visible form of god that we can see everyday. Our epics denote sun as a store house of power and radiance.
He represents courage, will power, strength, fame,hope, gives health and many more. Why? We already know that the source of vitamin D is Sun! Imagine world without sun……………. nah……… there’s no life. I think that’s the reason everyone worships Sun.
Worshipping sun god nothing new, our mythology is a proof of it. Lord Sri Rama worshipped sun god before going for the battle against the King of Lanka Ravana (also known as the last king of Asuras i.e. Rakshasas). King Satragit also worshipped sun god and got a gem from him called the Samanthakamani which is cause of prosperity which later on was given to Lord Krishna along with Satyabhama in marriage. We even have temples of sun god proving it, the famous Konark temple in Orissa, Arasavalli temple in Andhra Pradesh and many more temples.On Rathasapthami milk is boiled and khir is made which is offered to the sun god. Not only this but there is lot of rituals followed on this day.
In important Vaishnavite temples like Tirumala and Srirangam, Rathasapthami figures as one of the important festivals of the year. A one day Brahmotsavam is held and the Utsava Murthy is carried out in a variety of vahanams around the main temple precints during the day.
Rathasapthami also marks the gradual increase in temperature across South India and anticipates the arrival of spring which is later heralded by the festival of Ugadi in the month of 'Chaitra'.
In the Vaishnavite tradition, days in the year marking 'Vaikunta Ekadasi', Rathasapthami', 'Ugadi', 'Vijayadashami', are held in high regard and observed accordingly.
The Indian festivals are a wondrous and joyous series of events. These moments are defined by the changing luminosity of the sun. Rathasapthami is an ancient festival and one of the lesser known. Rathasapthami is the occasion of the sun moves from the southeast to the northeast.
Jai Srimannaryana !
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