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| Ratha Saptami | |
|---|---|
 Surya with consorts Saranyu and Chhaya | |
| Also called | Surya Jayanti, Magha Saptami |
| Observed by | Hindus |
| Begins | Magha Shukla Saptami |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Related to | Worship of Surya |
Ratha Saptami (Sanskrit: रथसप्तमी, romanized: Rathasaptamī), also rendered Magha Saptami, is a Hindu festival that falls on the seventh day (saptami) in the bright half (Shukla Paksha) of the Hindu month Magha.[4] It is symbolically represented in the form of the sun-god Surya turning his ratha (chariot) drawn by seven horses (representing the seven colours) towards the northern hemisphere, in a north-easternly direction. It also marks the birth of Surya and is hence also celebrated as Surya Jayanti (the sun-god’s birthday).[5]
Ratha Saptami is symbolic of the change of season to spring and the start of the harvesting season. For most Indian farmers, it is an auspicious beginning of the New Year. The festival is observed by all Hindus in their houses and in innumerable temples dedicated to Surya, across India.[6][7][8]
- ^ "2015 Hindu Festivals Calendar".
- ^ "2017 Marathi Panchang Calendar". Retrieved 2016-10-22.
- ^ "January 2018 Marathi Panchang Calendar". Retrieved 2017-10-05.
- ^ "Ratha Saptami 2013 Date". hindusphere.com. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
Ratha Saptami falls on the Magha Sukla Paksha Saptami i.e on the seventh day of the waxing phase of the moon in the month of Magha.
- ^ "Tirumala TTD Ratha Saptami Ardha Brahmotsavam 2019 Schedule". TTO. 7 February 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
- ^ "Rathasaptahmi". Scribd. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
- ^ "Hindu Fasts and Festivals". Ratha Saptami. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
- ^ Narayan, K.K.V (2007). Flipside of Hindu Symbolism: Sociological and Scientific Linkages in Hinduism. Fultus Corporation. p. 26. ISBN 978-1-59682-117-0. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
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