Ayodhya Ram Mandir: Know About The Unique Sun Ray Apparatus To Make Sun Rays Fall On Ramlala's Forehead

The Garbhagriha has a unique octagonal shape which is designed to allow sunlight to illuminate the face of Ramlala and the Sanctum Sanctorum on every Ram Navami.

Special Features Of Ayodhya Ram Mandir- Unique Sun Ray Apparatus At Garbhagriha

Source : Twitter/@ShriRamTeerth

The country has all eyes on Ram Mandir Ayodhya which is gearing up to welcome Ramlala on January 22, 2024. With preparations underway for the lavish ceremony, we are getting to see a few glimpses of the temple premises now and then. Recently, netizens also got to see pictures of Ramlala as the child-form of Lord Ram stood on a lotus in the Sanctum-Sanctorum.

Apart from that, a few days back, we saw pictures of the Garbhagriha of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya as shared by the Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which houses the infant form of Lord Shri Ram. On the first floor, there will be the Darbar of Lord Shri Ram. Interestingly, the temple is being constructed entirely using Indian traditions and indigenous techniques, with special attention to environmental and water conservation practices. 

Talking about the Garbhagriha, besides residing Ramlala, it has several other interesting features- first, being its unique octagonal shape which is designed to allow sunlight to illuminate the face of Ramlala and the Sanctum Sanctorum on every Ram Navami.

About The Unique Sun Ray Apparatus:

Inspired by the 13th century Sun temple at Konark in Odisha, a group of scientists, astronomers and technologists have done calculations to make sure that the rays of the Sun grace the Ramlala idol at the same time each Ram Navami. They also studied the Surya and Chandra calendars to calculate the position of the Sun on Ram Navmis, and tailored the design changes in the temple structure to harmonise with these calculations.

Kameshwar Choupal, member of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust had previously told PTI that a committee consisting of experts from the National Institute of Building Construction, including Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, IIT Mumbai, and IIT Roorkee, has been formed to focus on the technical aspects related to the construction of the temple.

Talking about the specialised apparatus, the 'Surya Tilak' system designed by a team of scientists led by S K Panigrahi, consists of lenses, mirrors, and other components that have been scientifically arranged to ensure that the rays of the sun delicately touch the forehead of Ram Lalla precisely at 12 noon for approximately 6 minutes on the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami every year 

"To achieve this, an optical lens will be placed on the third floor of the temple which will channel the ray to the ground floor through a series of reflectors placed in pipes," Chief Scientist at the CBRI, R Dharamraju, told PTI.

In addition, Senior Scientist at CBRI, Debdutta Ghosh, said the Indian Institute of Astrophysics gave inputs based on astronomical observations and also contributed to the mechanical and structural design for the 'Surya Tilak'.

"The CBRI was involved in conducting the 3D structure analysis of the temple design and it also suggested some modifications," Ghosh told PTI. "The sizes and shapes of the domes of the temple also were modified based on inputs provided by the CBRI," he added.

The Temple Can Withstand Earthquakes:

Debdutta Ghosh told PTI, "CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute at Hyderabad conducted the seismic hazard analysis of the temple site through ground penetration radar study and multichannel analyses of surface waves," 

In addition, Dharamraju said, "The temple can withstand an earthquake of 8 magnitude," adding that Ayodhya is located near the Himalayan region which is a known seismic zone.

"The CBRI will also install a series of sensors at the temple for its constant monitoring as it will be exposed to rain, and extreme temperatures during summers and winters," he added.

Meanwhile, according to the Trust, the Ram Temple is being constructed in the traditional Nagar style. It will have a length (east to west) of 380 feet, a width of 250 feet, and a height of 161 feet. The temple will be three storeies high, with each floor having a height of 20 feet. There will be a total of 392 pillars and 44 doors in the temple.