ГАЯТРИ СУРЬЯ ДЕВ

Surya, in Hinduism, both the sun and the sun god. Although in the Vedic period (2nd millennium–7th century bce) several other deities also possessed solar characteristics, most of these were merged into a single god in later Hinduism. Surya was once ranked along with Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti, and Ganesha, and many temples dedicated to him are found throughout India. These five deities are worshipped by a very important group of Brahmans (priests), the Smartas, but Surya is worshipped as the supreme deity by only a small group, the Saura sect. He is, however, invoked by most Hindus, and the Gayatri mantra, uttered daily at dawn by many Hindus, is addressed to the sun. Surya is the mythological father of many notable sons, including Manu (progenitor of the human race), Yama (lord of death), the Ashvins (twin physicians to the gods), Karna (a great warrior of the sacred epic the Mahabharata), and Sugriva (king of the monkeys). The Puranas (collections of myths and legends) record that the weapons of the gods were