c. 12th century

Surya, The Sun God

This monumental black stone relief, discovered in 1833 in the mud of the Ganges River delta, depicts Surya, the Hindu solar deity. Surya wears boots, suggesting the god’s northerly origins. In each hand he holds fully opened lotus blossoms, flowers that bloom in the light of the sun. Surya is flanked by his two wives and by the male attendants Pingala (with pen and inkpot) and Dandin (with sword and shield). The god stands in a chariot pulled by seven horses. His charioteer Aruna (sunrise) guides the chariot across the sky. On either side of him, female archers dispel the darkness with their arrows. Flaming rays of light emanate from behind Surya’s head. Even his eyebrows are made of flames.