Indus Valley Times

AYODHYA, APR 17: The ‘Surya tilak’ of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya was done at noon on Wednesday on the occasion of Ram Navami using an elaborate mechanism involving mirrors and lenses by which sunbeams were directed on the forehead of the Ram idol.

This is the first Ram Navami since the consecration of the Ram idol at the new temple, inaugurated on January 22.

Prakash Gupta the spokesperson of the temple, told PTI, “The Surya Tilak was done for around 4-5 minutes when the sun rays were directly focused on the forehead of the Ram Lalla idol.”

“The temple administration prevented the devotees from entering the sanctum sanctorum at the time of the Surya Tilak to avoid overcrowding,” Gupta said.

The temple trust had commissioned a team of scientists to make this occasion possible. Using scientific expertise, a beam of light illuminated Ram Lala’s forehead. To achieve this phenomenon, sunlight was precisely directed onto the statue’s forehead using a combination of mirrors and lenses. This was carried out precisely at 12 noon for about 3 minutes.

Dr S K Panigrahi, a scientist at CSIR-CBRI Roorkee, who was also associated with the project, said that the basic objective of the Surya Tilak project is to focus on the ’tilak’ on the forehead of Shri Ram idol on every Shri Ram Navami day. Under the project, sunlight will be brought on the forehead of Lord Ram at noon on Shri Ram Navami in the Chaitra month every year.

Dr DP Kanungo, the Chief Scientist at CSIR-CBRI, Roorkee, told PTI, “As planned, the Surya Tilak of Ram Lalla was perfectly executed at 12:00 pm”

The system was tested by the scientists on Tuesday.

The moment of the Surya Tilak had devotees in raptures as chants of Jai Shri Ram were heard across Ayodhya and even in temples across the country. Devotees broke out into song and dance outside the Ram Janambhoomi Mandir. This is the first Ram Navami after the Pran Pratishtha of the idol of Lord Ram by PM Modi on January 22 in Ayodhya.

Ram Navami is being celebrated with great pomp at Ram Janambhoomi Mandir with offerings of 56 types of bhog, prasad and panjiri.

Earlier, Acharya Satyendra Das, Chief Priest of Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, informed that everything has been decorated and the idol of Lord Ram has been specially dressed for the day.

“He is dressed in yellow clothes, and after this he is bathed with Panchamrit. Four-five types of panjiris are made and along with that, 56 types of offerings are made to the Lord.”

A large number of devotees thronged Ram Mandir on Wednesday morning in a vibrant display of faith and celebration. Before visiting the temple, devotees took a dip in the holy waters of the Saryu River.

The darshan at the temple had started at 3:30 am. The celebration was broadcast on about 100 LED screens throughout the city. It was also broadcast on the trust’s social media accounts.

-PTI