The Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has announced that the ‘Surya Abhishek’ of the Ram Lalla idol at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya will take place on Ram Navami (April 17), following successful trials of the optomechanical system installed for this purpose.
According to trust officials, daily trials will continue to ensure that sunlight falls precisely at the centre of the idol’s forehead at noon on April 17. Teams of scientists from the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Roorkee, and another institute have been overseeing this endeavour.
“Sunlight will illuminate the face of Ram Lalla for a continuous four minutes. Two mirrors and a lens have been strategically placed on the ground floor of the mandir, with sunlight directed onto them from a mirror positioned on the third floor. The reflected rays will form a ’tilak’ on the forehead,” explained a trust official.
Given that direct sunlight cannot enter the mandir’s sanctum sanctorum where the idol is situated, the optomechanical equipment serves to redirect sunlight onto the idol’s forehead through mirrors and lenses.
With this system in place, the ‘Surya tilak’ of the idol will be performed annually on Ram Navami, with slight adjustments made to the mirrors and lenses to account for changes in sunlight direction.
In anticipation of the event, preparations are underway to ensure that the ‘Surya tilak’ lasts approximately four minutes, with bright light on the forehead for about 2-2.5 minutes, gradually fading thereafter. Additionally, arrangements are being made to broadcast the event live on Doordarshan, with large LED screens set up at nearly 100 locations across Ayodhya.
