Surya, the Hindu Solar Deity

Surya, the Hindu Solar Deity

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Surya is considered the source of light. His origins can be traced to the earliest Indian text, the Rigveda, and his conventional West Asian mode of dress affirms his links to the solar cults of early Iran. He wears a tunic and high boots typical of early Iranian imagery and holds two lotuses in full bloom—emblems of the power of the sun.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Surya, the Hindu Solar DeitySurya, the Hindu Solar DeitySurya, the Hindu Solar DeitySurya, the Hindu Solar DeitySurya, the Hindu Solar Deity

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.