SURYA

 Surya is the Sun or Sun-deity, being on of the important deities since vedic ages. He is the source of light and heat. Riding on a chariot drawn by seven horses, Surya has many wives. From Aswini, a nymph he had twin sons Aswins who were handsome and powerful and from his another wife Sanjna who was the daughter of Viswakarma, he had three children, Manu, Yama and Yami and it was from manu that the solar dynasty had started. There are hundreds of myths depicting the origin, personality, relations and descendent of the Sun. Very much worshipped by Hindus everyday, he is known by many names such as Bhaskara, Dinkara, Loke-Chakshu, Garaharaja, Sahasra Kirana, Diwakar etc. 

In Buddhism Surya is associated with moon as symbol of basic unity of the apparently different relative and absolute truth; appears separately in the upper part of thang-kas. It is a special symbol of Akashgarbha.