Surya, in Hinduism, both the Sun and the Sun god. Although in the Vedic period (1500–5th century bce) several other deities also possessed solar characteristics, most of these were merged into a single god in later Hinduism. Surya was once ranked along with Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti, and Ganesha, and many temples dedicated to him are found throughout India. Those five deities are worshipped.