Deo Surya Mandir in Deo town, Aurangabad district, Bihar, is one of the most revered Sun temples in India and one of the very few that faces west, towards the setting sun. Its tall stone shikhara rises over the town, and beside it lies the Surya Kund, where lakhs of devotees bathe and offer arghya at Kartik and Chaiti Chhath.
☍ Spiritual Significance
Sun temples almost always face east, to greet the rising sun. Deo faces west, towards the sun as it sets — which makes it especially dear at Chhath, the one festival that worships the setting sun first. On the evening of Sandhya Arghya, vratis standing in the Surya Kund offer arghya towards the temple and the setting sun at once.
Inside, Surya Dev is worshipped as Trikal Surya — the Sun in three forms, linked by tradition with Brahma in the morning, Shiva at midday and Vishnu in the evening. Families come here to keep vows for health and for children, and many return every year to keep the Chhath vrat beside the kund.
देव सूर्य मंदिर बिहार के औरंगाबाद ज़िले के देव कस्बे में स्थित पश्चिममुखी सूर्य मंदिर है। यहाँ सूर्यदेव की त्रिकाल रूप में पूजा होती है, और कार्तिक व चैती छठ पर लाखों श्रद्धालु सूर्य कुंड में स्नान करके अर्घ्य देते हैं।
📜 History & Origin
Local tradition places the temple’s origin in the distant past, and some even credit Vishwakarma with building it in a single night. Historians date the present stone structure to the early medieval period. Deo is the best known of several old Sun shrines of the Magadh region — Ulaar, Aungari and Baragaon among them — where families travel to keep the Chhath vrat beside temple tanks.
🏛 Architecture & Structure
A Nagara-style temple of dark stone, about a hundred feet high, with a carved, tapering shikhara crowned by a kalash. The sanctum faces west. The Surya Kund, the sacred tank used for bathing and arghya, lies close by, with ghats that fill completely at Chhath.
🙏 Puja & Rituals
Daily worship and aarti of Surya Dev. Devotees offer water (arghya), red flowers, red sandalwood, jaggery and wheat; many come on Sundays, the Sun’s day. At Chhath, vratis bathe in the Surya Kund and offer the Sandhya and Usha arghya, and families who have vowed it fill the kosi at night.
🎉 Major Festivals & Occasions
Kartik Chhath (October–November) and Chaiti Chhath (March–April) are the great occasions, with a fair that fills Deo for days. Makar Sankranti, Ratha Saptami and every Sunday also draw large numbers of devotees.
🎉 Festival Highlights
On Chhath, the temple town becomes one vast ghat: soops and dauras on every head, lamps on the kund at night, and the evening arghya offered towards the west-facing temple as the sun goes down.
📊 Temple Facts
🚌 How to Reach
By road from Aurangabad town in Bihar. The nearest railway station is Anugrah Narayan Road (Aurangabad) on the Grand Chord line; Gaya Junction is also well connected. The nearest airports are Gaya and Patna. During Chhath, the district administration sets special routes and parking — follow local arrangements and arrive early.
🏠 Where to Stay
Simple lodges and dharamshalas in Deo; more choice in Aurangabad town. At Chhath, rooms fill months ahead — many families stay in Aurangabad or Gaya and come in early.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What are the darshan timings of Deo Surya Mandir? +
Open from early morning to night; hours extend during Chhath — confirm locally.
How do I reach Deo Surya Mandir? +
By road from Aurangabad town in Bihar. The nearest railway station is Anugrah Narayan Road (Aurangabad) on the Grand Chord line; Gaya Junction is also well connected. The nearest airports are Gaya and Patna. During Chhath, the district administration sets special routes and parking — follow local arrangements and arrive early.
What is the entry fee for Deo Surya Mandir? +
Free
What is the best time to visit Deo Surya Mandir? +
Chhath (Oct–Nov, Mar–Apr); Sundays; winter
What is the dress code at Deo Surya Mandir? +
Modest, traditional clothing