Other Sun Festivals
There are other festivals dedicated to Sun God Surya in India. Makara Sankaranti is the most widely celebrated Hindu festival dedicated to the Sun God. It is celebrated as Makara Sankranti throughout India and as Pongal also known as Thai Pongal by Tamils all over the world. People thank the Sun God for ensuring a good harvest and dedicate the first grain to him. Chhath is another Hindu Festival dedicated to Surya. It is believed to have been started by Karna, the son of Surya, who became a great warrior and fought against the Pandavas in the Kurukshetra War. Chhath is unique to Bihar, Jharkhand and the some parts of Uttar Pradesh.
Read more about this topic: Ratha Saptami
Famous quotes containing the words sun and/or festivals:
“The sceptics assert, though absurdly, that the origin of all religious worship was derived from the utility of inanimate objects, as the sun and moon, to the support and well-being of mankind.”
—David Hume (1711–1776)
“This is certainly not the place for a discourse about what festivals are for. Discussions on this theme were plentiful during that phase of preparation and on the whole were fruitless. My experience is that discussion is fruitless. What sets forth and demonstrates is the sight of events in action, is living through these events and understanding them.”
—Doris Lessing (b. 1919)