Why is water offered to the Sun?
The Sun is the lord of the planets. He is one of the Panchdevas (five deities). The Sun is accepted as a visible deity. The Sun is the regulator of time. Life derives its order from the Sun. In the Puranas, Surya worship is said to cure all diseases. In Hindu culture, offering water (Arghya) is a symbol of reverence and faith in the being. Offering water to the Sun after bathing is considered an invitation to balance in life. Wherever there is a river or lake for bathing, people can still be seen offering water to the Sun in wet clothes. It is customary to chant the Sun's name while offering water. According to scriptures, one should offer water to the Sun in the morning facing east, and in the evening facing west. According to religious belief, it is a sin to eat without offering water to the Sun. It is believed that water droplets falling while offering water to the Sun transform into thunderbolts and destroy demons. Diseases are the demons themselves. Observing the ritual of offering arghya (offering water) makes it clear how the sun's rays are divided into seven colors upon contact with water, and how they are affected by offering arghya (offering water). One must accept the fact that germs that normally don't die through specific procedures like boiling and drying are eradicated and destroyed by the sun's rays. Ayurvedic texts state that the eyesight of one who offers arghya to the sun remains unimpaired. The scriptures also consider the sun to be the presiding deity of the eyes.
