by Sunita Shah
Surya is also known as Aditya, and is the Hindu god of the sun, and the sun itself. He is the supreme being that brings light to the world. Surya first appears in the Rigveda. The bringer of the Sun, Surya was thought to ride his chariot across the sky and defeat the demons of darkness. The Gayatri Mantra dedicated to Surya recited at the dawn of the day. Surya is the supreme source of energy and light and the origin of the universe. It is believed that the order and choice of words is arranged specifically to create an energetic power that impacts the person who chants in their body, their mind and spiritual self. The mantra is the very essence of the Vedas. It begins with the sound of Om, the very first sound that ever existed.
