At noon on Wednesday, a beam of sunlight directly illuminated the idol of Ram Lalla at the newly constructed temple, marking the “Surya Tilak” of the deity on the first Ram Navami since its consecration. Devotees began lining up before dawn, with special arrangements made by the local administration and temple authorities to manage the crowds. As the “Surya Tilak” occurred, chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ echoed outside, while priests conducted an “aarti” inside.
The elaborate apparatus involving mirrors and lenses directed sun rays into the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, illuminating the deity’s forehead. The consecration of the Ram idol was conducted in a ceremony led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 22. Amidst his Lok Sabha election campaign, Modi observed the event on his tablet, expressing his emotional connection to the moment and sharing images of himself watching the ‘Surya Tilak’. The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath, also posted a video of the ‘Surya Tilak’ on his official account, commemorating the event’s importance.
Temple spokesperson Prakash Gupta explained that the ‘Surya Tilak’ lasted for about four or five minutes, with devotees prevented from entering the sanctum sanctorum to avoid overcrowding. Dr. DP Kanungo, Chief Scientist at CSIR-CBRI, Roorkee, confirmed the execution of the ‘Surya Tilak’ at noon, detailing the mechanism developed in consultation with the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bangalore. The system, designed by CBRI with IIA’s consultancy, was tested and modified to suit the temple’s structure, ensuring the focused sunlight on the deity’s forehead.
Dr. S K Panigrahi, a scientist at CSIR-CBRI Roorkee, outlined the project’s objective to focus sunlight on Lord Ram’s forehead every Shri Ram Navami. Department of Science and Technology Secretary Abhay Karandikar praised the team’s efforts, highlighting the calculations, design, and integration of the optical system. He noted the modification of the design for the temple’s structure and the execution of the ‘Surya Tilak’ with four mirrors and two lenses, with plans for a final design incorporating four mirrors and lenses.
