Aditya Hriday, is a devotional hymn associated with Aditya or Sun God (Surya) and was recited by the sage Agastya to Rāma on the battlefield before fighting the demon king Rāvana. This historic hymn starts at the beginning of the duel between Rāma and Rāvana. Agastya teaches Rāma, who is fatigued after the long battle with various warriors of Lanka, the procedure of worshiping the Sun God for strength to defeat the enemy.

Surya as the Sun is worshipped at dawn by most Hindus and has many temples dedicated to him across India. He also enjoys worship as a part of the Navagraha. He is especially worshipped in the Hindu festivals of Ratha Saptami, Makar Sankranti, Chhath and Samba Dashami,Surya is also known as 'Mitra' (meaning friend) for his life nourishing properties.