 Surya is a Vedic deity, states Elgood, but its deity status was strengthened from the contacts between ancient Persia and India during the Kushan era, as well as after the 8th-century when Sun-worshipping Parsees moved to India.Some Greek features were incorporated into Surya iconography in post-Kushan era, around mid 1st millennium, according to Elgood.The iconography of Surya in Hinduism varies with its texts.