Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir is set to witness a rare celestial event to mark Ram Navami on April 17. Devotees visiting the temple will have the opportunity to witness a rare annual event where the sun shines down on them. A cascade of “sacred” tilak is applied to the forehead of the new Ram Lalla idol. Calling it ‘Surya Tilak’, an amalgamation of science, engineering and spirituality, temple trust officials and the scientists who designed the mechanism say the event is a combination of lenses and mirrors designed to take place. He said that this would occur through a series of sophisticated mechanisms. Only during Ram Navami, this day is celebrated as Lord Ram’s birthday.
“On Ram Navami, which falls on the 9th day of the month of Chaitra, the entire mechanism of lenses is designed to direct sunlight to the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram temple, the forehead of the statue of Lord Ram. It begins around noon on Ram Navami. It will last for four minutes,” R Dharamraj, chief scientist at the CSIR Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), the agency that designed the Surya Tilak mechanism, said in a statement.
Explaining the mechanism, Dharamraju said that for this purpose, a device has been developed that works on the principle of tracking the orbit of the sun. In the device, lenses and reflectors are placed so that sunlight from the third floor hits directly. Garbha Griha on the forehead of Lord Ram’s idol.
Champat Rai, general secretary of Ram Temple Trust, said, “Bhagwan Ram was a Suryavanshi and we thought there was nothing better than celebrating his birthday at Surya Tilak, so this scheme was designed.” ” he said. Through this mechanism, the sun’s rays are guided to fall on Lord Ram’s forehead, resulting in the formation of an oval-shaped tilak. It is a perfect example of careful engineering and application of optical science, and also symbolizes the divine connection between heaven and earth. ”
Rai said the entire mechanism was designed by a team of engineers and scientists from CSIR Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Optica, Bangalore and others.
Officials in trust with the temple said that scientists have ensured 100 per cent formation of Surya Tilak on the forehead of Lord Ram’s idol. Officials said that since Ram Navami is calculated based on the lunar calendar, a special arrangement of 19 gears has to be put in place to ensure that the auspicious anointing takes place on time and on the set schedule. He said there is. Interestingly, neither batteries nor iron were used in the construction of this entire mechanism.
First published: April 9, 2024, 14:17 IST
