[6][7][8] Sun worship is deep rooted in the Vedas of the Hindu religion and its antiquity also relates to several mythologies of the world such as that of China, Egypt and Mesopotamia.

The relevant verses (translated from Sanskrit by Ralph Griffith) are as follows: Her spirit was the bridal car; the covering thereof was heaven: Bright were both Steeds that drew it when Surya approached her husband's home.Thy Steeds were steady, kept in place by holy verse and Sama-hymn: All cars were thy two chariot wheels: thy path was tremulous in the sky,Clean, as thou wentest, were thy wheels wind, was the axle fastened there.

The Ratha Saptami festival seeks the benevolent cosmic spread of energy and light from the sun god.

[6] Ratha Saptami also marks the gradual increase in temperature across South India and awaits the arrival of spring, which is later heralded by the festival of Gudi Padwa, Ugadi, or the Hindu lunar New Year day in the month of Chaitra.

Important prayers offered to the Sun god on this occasion are the Adityahridayam, Gayathri, Suryashtakam, Surya Sahasram namam.

[9] Arka (in Sanskrit, meaning a ray or flash of lightning) leaves,also called Aak in Hindi, Ekka (in Kannada), Jilledu in Telugu, Erukku in Tamil and Calotropis Gigantea (bowstring hemp) in English.

[6] On this day, in South India, Kolam is drawn with coloured rice powder depicting a chariot and seven horses as symbolic of the Ratha Saptami.

Cowdung cake is also burnt at the centre of this depiction and milk boiled on the fire is offered to the sun god.

The ratha yatra of Veera Venkatesha of Sri Venkatramana Temple in Mangalore is held on this day and is famously known as Kodial Teru or Mangaluru Rathotsava.

On Ratha Saptami, a one-day Brahmotsavam is held in Tirumala.On this day, the murtis of the presiding deity of Malayappa Swamy, along with his divine consorts Sridevi and Bhudevi, are taken to a procession in the processional streets in Tirumala.