God Surya Introduction:
Lord Surya is the god of the Sun. He is the ruler of the planets and one of the Adityas (son of Aditi).

Sculpture Information:
Surya on Chariot sculpture is one of the first depictions of Surya in a Hindu context and is located at the Virūpākṣa temple in Paṭṭadakal (Karnataka – India). It is a part of the ceiling of the temple. The temple belongs to the 8th century CE from the Chalukya Dynasty era.

Surya is shown as a resplendent standing person holding a lotus flower in both hands, riding a chariot pulled by seven horses. The seven horses are named after the seven meters of Sanskrit prosody: Gayatri, Brihati, Ushnih, Jagati, Trishtubha, Anushtubha and Pankti. His chariot driver is Aruna who is controlling the horses.

Surya is flanked by his two consorts, goddess Sanjana and goddess Chhaya, who are shown to be shooting arrows, a symbol of their initiative to challenge darkness.

Around Surya, two Makaras are depicted behind his shoulders, representing Lord Varuna and other adityas.

This busy motif is full of characters and actions.

The Pattadakal monuments are a UNESCO World Heritage Site consisting of nine Hindu temples and one Jain temple.