Question

According to the Puranas, the chariot of which deity is described as being drawn by seven horses?

Hint:

This deity is worshipped as the sun god, and his temple at Konark is shaped like a chariot.

Answer 1

The correct answer is Surya, the Sun god.

In Hindu mythology, Surya is described as riding a golden chariot pulled by seven horses, driven by his charioteer Aruna. The seven horses are usually said to represent the seven colours of light or the seven days of the week, connecting the myth to how the sun brings light and time to the world.

Surya worship is an old tradition in India, and this image of the sun god on his seven horse chariot appears often in temple art, most famously in the Konark Sun Temple in Odisha, which is itself built in the shape of a giant chariot with wheels and horses.