Ram Navami, this year, holds special significance for Ayodhya and devotees worldwide as it marks the first celebration of Lord Ram's birth at the newly inaugurated Ram Mandir. To mark the birth of Ram Lalla, the ceremony of Surya Tilak will be performed at 12 pm in the sanctum sanctorum.
Ram Lalla's Surya Tilak
The Surya Tilak, designed by Indian scientists, is made possible through a mirror and lens apparatus, developed by scientists from the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) in Roorkee, a part of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
This mechanism will make sure that the sunlight falls directly on Ram Lalla's forehead at noon on Ram Navami day (today). The size of the tilak is set at 58 mm and the duration is set for approximately 3 to three-and-a-half minutes, with 2 minutes dedicated to full illumination, as stated by the scientists.
Dr D P Kanungo, chief scientist at CSIR-CBRI, Roorkee said that “this is meticulously planned, designed and implemented to achieve utmost accuracy." “100% the Surya Tilak will anoint the forehead of the idol of Ram Lalla,” CBRI scientist Dr Pradeep Chauhan, who helped in the design of the Ram temple, agreed.
The Surya Tilak mechanism, meticulously engineered by the CBRI team, orchestrates the path of sunlight to fall upon Lord Ram's idol for approximately 6 minutes each year. This mechanism involves a gearbox, reflective mirrors, and lenses, strategically positioned to track the sun's path from the third floor near the shikara to the Garbha Griha.
Guidelines issued by the Ram Navami Trust
The Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has released guidelines for Ram Navami. All VIP darshan passes have been cancelled to manage the expected crowds, and changes have been made to darshan timings.
They wrote on X, “The duration of Darshan has been extended to 19 hours, starting from the Mangala Aarti and continuing until 11 PM at night. The curtain will be closed only for five minutes during the four Bhog offerings. Distinguished guests are requested to visit for Darshan only after April 19.”
Ram Navami event broadcast
“The celebration of Shri Ram Janmotsav will be broadcasted on about a hundred large LED screens throughout Ayodhya city. There will also be live broadcasts on the Trust's social media accounts,” the Trust wrote on X.
They also advised devotees “not to bring their mobile phones and valuable items” to “avoid inconvenience and waste of time during Darshan.”
