Sun worship: India
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Sun worship in India
Written by Alokparna Das, June 13, 2022: The Indian Express
The history of sun worship in India — a diminishing cult
Author Alokparna Das in her book, 'Abodes of the Sun God: Exploring Sun worship in India through myths, images and temples', documents a journey across several Sun Temples to tell the story of the diminishing cult of the sun.
In India, Sun worship possibly started in the Neolithic period. Images of the Sun can be seen in a rock shelter at Odisha’s Sundargarh district. This rock shelter is located at around 200 feet above a forest road. The mural can be seen towards the centre of the wall and the images averaging 20-25 centimetres in diameter are well defined with red ochre tones. The circular representations of Sun form two circles; the images have straight strokes (like sunrays) at intervals and around the outer circle. Though assigning a definite date to the rock shelter painting is difficult, it is irrefutably an evidence of the antiquity of Sun worship in India. The rising Sun can be also seen in rock shelters near Raigarh and at Sitakhardi in Chambal valley. Besides, encircled Sun is depicted on Neolithic pottery found at Piklihal in Karnataka.