“Have a blessed and beautiful Sunday.” The 2 nd Online Travel Varanasi Surya  ( / ˈ s u ː r j ə / ; [3]   Sanskrit :  सूर्य ,  IAST :  Sūrya ) is a Sanskrit word that means the  Sun . [4]  Synonyms of Surya in ancient Indian literature include  Aaditya ,  Arka ,  Bhanu ,  Savitr ,  Pushan ,  Ravi ,  Martanda ,  Mitra ,  Bhaskara  and  Vivasvan . [5] [6] [7] Surya also connotes the  solar deity  in  Hinduism , [8]  particularly in the  Saura  tradition found in states such as Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Odisha. Surya is one of the five deities considered as equivalent aspects and means to realizing  Brahman  in the  Smarta Tradition . [9]  Surya's iconography is often depicted riding a chariot harnessed by horses, often seven in number [1]  which represent the seven colours of v...