Sunlight- The most precious gold for Earth

By Haridya Sharma

Have you ever wondered why plants and trees look so healthy and green even after standing in sunlight for all day long ?

Just like we need food to grow, plants also need their food which is made from sunlight itself and water too.

Just like a process of making food is called cooking, the process of making food by plants is called Photosynthesis. 

It needs three ingredients- Sunlight, Water and CO2.

In the process of photosynthesis- the leaves absorb the sunlight through the green colour pigment present which is also called chlorophyll which provides energy for the process. 

Water is absorbed by the roots from soil and reaches the leaves. Similarly CO2 is also taken from air. 

With the energy received from sunlight, the reaction of water and CO2 happens inside the leaves which produces ‘Glucose’, the food for plants. It provides energy to plants to grow and stay healthy.

And as a by- product of this process, the plants give us the most precious thing for the whole mankind- OXYGEN. Thus Sunlight not only helps plants through which we get our food( vegetables, fruits, grains, cereals, pulses) but also helps in making oxygen which is most essential for human beings. 

Thus, sunlight is the foundation of the food chain. It also helps in maintaining the balance of temperature in Earth’s atmosphere.

Thus, the sun being the most powerful force of our Solar system and responsible for life on Earth. 

In Hindu Religion also, the Sun (Surya) is considered as a God of knowledge, wisdom, strength, power and is worshipped and thanked through various rituals like SuryaNamaskar , Surya Arghya as a gesture of respect and to seek his blessings . Festivals like Makar Sankranti and Chhath Pooja are celebrated for prosperity and blessings.