Skip to content Surya Jayanthi – Rathasapthami
The celebrations of Surya Jayanthi in Tirumala are being held in a grand style on the day of the ‘Rathasapthami’ festival every year. On that day, from sunrise to the end of the night, the Lord of the Seven Hills will visit the devotees in seven vehicles.
On that day, Lord Malayappa Swamy will come to the Mahapradakshina (Mada Streets) path of the temple on the golden Surya Prabha Vahanam exactly at the time of sunrise, He delights the devotees by appearing as the direct manifestation of Sri Lord Vaikunthanarayana.
At the time of dawn, the rays of Lord Balabhaskara, which rise from time to time, gradually radiate on Sri Malayappa Swamy’s chest, on the conch and wheel and finally reflect on His lotus feet. The basic concept of Lord Venkatadri Narayana and Lord Suryanarayana is to look after the welfare of the world. The direct ‘guru’ of Sri Anjaneya is Lord Surya. Lord Venkateswara is the Chief Deity of Sri Anjaneya.
Anjanadri is one of the Seven Hills of Lord Venkateswara. Lord Krishna in the Gita says ‘Adityanam Aham Vishnuhu.’It means that Lord Vishnu is one among the Adityas. It is also said that ‘Jyothisham Ravi Ramsuman.’ It means that He is Lord Surya among ‘Paramjyothis’. Both the Lords are the well-wishers of humanity. Lord Surya is being worshipped in Tirumala and other TTD temples gloriously.
It is not possible to describe the auspicious and divine appearance of Lord Surya manifesting in the rays as new and powerful things unless one sees it with one’s own eyes. The divine sight of Lord Suryanarayana Swamy, the quite visible Lord, worshipping Lord Brahmandanayaka with His scintillating rays on the golden and the sun-splendoured chariot, is a miraculous event that can only be seen in Tirumala on Rathasapthami Day.
Rathasapthami Day Vahanams
Thus, on Ratha Saptami Day, Lord Malayappa Swamy rides on glorious ‘vahanams’ like
- Surya Prabha Vahanam,
- Chinna Shesha Vahanam,
- Garuda Vahanam,
- Hanumad Vahanam,
- Chakrasnanam in Swami pushkarini,
- Kalpa Vriksha Vahanam,
- Sarvabhupala Vahanam and
- finally, Chandra Prabha Vahanam from morning till evening.
The Lord comes out of the sanctum sanctorum to bless His devotees.
The celebrations of Rathasaptami on Surya Jayanthi are called ‘One Day Brahmotsavam’ and ‘Ardha Brahmotsavam’.
Significance of Ratha Sapthami about Lord Venkateswara
When Lord Vishnu descended to the earth as Lord Venkateswara, He sought to create a place for Goddess Maha Lakshmi (later known as Goddess Padmavathi). Initially, He created the Sarovar Pushkarani in the Tirumala Hills to bring Goddess Maha Lakshmi from Kolhapur.
The term ‘Pushkarani’ is derived from two Sanskrit words: Push (to bud, bloom, or blossom) and Karani (which signifies ‘blessed girl,’ symbolizing power and intellect). Thus, Pushkarani not only signifies a place of divine waters but also a site for blossoming lotus flowers (Padma Pushpas).
Despite His efforts, Lord Venkateswara realized that the land leased to Him, by Sri Varaha Swami, was not suitable for Goddess Padmavathi. Consequently, He developed a Pushkarani at Tiruchanoor, transforming it into Padma Sarovar (Lotus Lake) and adorning it with divine lotuses from Vaikuntha.
However, He found that these lotuses required sunlight to bloom. To redress this, Lord Venkateswara built a temple and invoked the Sun God near Padma Sarovar, ensuring that the divine lotuses blossomed. This act not only welcomed Goddess Padmavathi and the Sun God to Tiruchanoor but also highlighted the universal significance of the Sun God.
Significance of the Sun God and Ratha Sapthami
Ratha Sapthami marks the birth of the Sun God and symbolizes the reincarnation of Lord Vishnu’s power. The term ‘Ratha Sapthami’ combines Ratha (chariot) and Sapthami (seventh day). It signifies the Sun God’s chariot, which has a single wheel with twelve spokes and is drawn by seven divine horses representing the seven colours of sunlight. The seven horses correspond to the seven days of the week, while the twelve spokes symbolize the twelve months and zodiac signs (Rasis).
Although the Sun God’s movement on His chariot is a year-round phenomenon, Ratha Sapthami holds a special significance. One might wonder why this specific day is celebrated. If the Sun God moves on His chariot throughout the year, why is Ratha Sapthami noteworthy? The answer lies in its spiritual significance and its association with ‘dharma,’ the universal order that governs nature, the planets and life.
Contrary to popular belief, Ratha Sapthami is not merely a Hindu festival. It is a Sanskar (spiritual process) meant to be revered by all. On this auspicious day, Lord Venkateswara’s procession on the ‘Surya Prabha Vahana’ underscores the inseparability of the Sun God and Lord Vishnu, who manifests as Surya Narayana.
The Scientific and Cosmic Perspective
The power and light emitted from Lord Vishnu created temperateness across the fourteen ‘lokas’ However, due to the unbearable heat, Sri Vishwakarma crafted the Sudarshana Chakra from this energy, leading to the Sun God’s birth.
Even non-living entities like soil, water, air, and sky rely on sunlight for their roles in sustaining life. Soil below twenty-four feet cannot nurture seeds without sunlight. Similarly, water supports life only when exposed to sunlight, while vast oceans sustain marine life on their sunlit surfaces. Even air and sky, which host countless invisible organisms, require sunlight for their ecological balance.
