Samba, Son of Krsna and Sun Worship

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The history of Sun worship

>From Sanjaya Jena in Chandrabhaga

"Legend has it that, it was Samba, the son of Krishna,...built the great

sun temple at Sambapura (modern Multan in Pakistan)....

The same Samba legend is associated with the Sun temple at Konark

as well. As in the case of Multan, another Chandrabhaga river is found

in the vicinity of Konark Sun temple with the same sanctity and

significance attached to it. "

 

People in lakhs gather in sea beach at Chandrabhaga close to Konark,

the citadel of Sun God worship in the country. They take bath here and

worship the Sun God which is said to be the cure for various skin

diseases including leprosy. Organiser took stock of this years' mad

rush of more than two lakh people to take bath in the renovated bathing

space and scanned through the legend and peoples' faith in the worship

Sun God and their unflinching faith.

 

After spending the whole night on the sandy banks of Chandrabhaga,

lakhs of men and women thronged the bathing ghat for bath and prayer

to the Sun God at the crack of the dawn. Those hailing from nearby

areas kept arriving during the night.

 

Although the annual Chandrabhaga mela, observed on the Magha

Saptami day, is linked to religion in this part of the world, what really

makes people from far flung areas to reach the place was the

understanding of the beneficial effects of sun worship, the most ancient

faith in India.

 

Studies point out that in India, all the sun worship centres have some

water bodies associated with them. The sun temples in Egypt are also

located on the banks of river Nile. In fact, there seems to be a strong

correlation between sun worship and the cure for skin diseases in

general and leprosy in particular.

 

The Sun temples in Egypt are also located on the banks of river Nile. In

fact, there seems to be a strong correlation between Sun worship and

the cure for skin diseases in general and leprosy in particular.

 

Legends connect the very establishment of sun temples in various

places with the cure of leprosy, according to elderly locals present in

the mela.

 

Legend has it that, it was Samba, the son of Krishna, who built the

great sun temple at Sambapura (modern Multan in Pakistan), on being

cured of leprosy after he had propitiated the sun god for 12 years in

Mitravan on the bank of river Chandrabhaga. The same Samba legend is

associated with the sun temple at Konark as well. As in the case of

Multan, another Chandrabhaga river is found in the vicinity of Konark sun

temple with the same sanctity and significance attached to it, says

Balakrishnan.

 

Konark Sun temple's association with leprosy cure is not merely legend-

based, but functional as well. There is an institution called Abdhut mut

at Konark. The mut, it is learnt, was famous for leprosy cure and related

rituals. Even now, on Magha Saptami day, when gods are taken in a

procession to river Chandrabhaga, a person in the guise of a leprosy

patient walks along in the company of others.

 

Many people who gathered at the Mela strongly believed in the sun-cure

theory. "My wife and I have come here to pray the Sun God seeking

cure from skin diseases that I am suffering since a long time. Taking

medicine has not been of any help," said Prabhakar Behera from

Ganjam district.

 

It is said that the faith in sun cure seems to be based on science

radiation from the Sun represents a blending of infrared, luminous and

ultraviolet radiation and there is a relatively higher amount of ultraviolet

radiation in sky shine (diffused radiation) than direct sunshine, argues

Balakrishnan.

 

"The ocean, sandy beach and snow furnish a diffuse and at times, a

very powerful form of sunlight which was therapeutically valuable. The

reflection of ultraviolet rays from the surface of water is twice as great as

that from a field of grass, but only one-fourth as much as from freshly-

fallen snow. This explains the wisdom behind the Indian custom of

facing the rising sun to offer prayers, immediately after taking a bath

and mostly while standing in water," said a medical student, Suresh

Chandra, also present in the mela.

 

Apart from the mentions about the healing power of the Sun in the

Vedas and worship of the Sun by the Egyptians, Aztecs, Romans and

Greeks who thought of it as the source of life and health, experts say

that the credit for associating Sun with leprosy should be shared with

ancient Indians.

 

 

In ancient Greece, music and medicine were the themes woven into the

concept of sun worship. At Konark too, dance and music are the

dominant themes. While the ritual bath in Chandrabhaga and the sea

nearby is related to cure skin diseases, the stylistic postures of the

dancers and musicians have been graphically depicted in the sculptures

of Konark. Although the Sun temple at Konark was no longer a living

shrine with rituals and worshipping of the Sun God, the tradition of Sun

worship lives on.

 

"As heliotherapy is gradually gaining popularity in different parts of the

world, it is time radiation levels at various locations which were well-

known for sun shrines are scientifically documented and the ancient

wisdom of Sun cure revived," experts have started demanding.

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