Surya Tilak Illuminates Ram Lalla Idol On First Ram Navami After Pran Pratishtha: WATCH

The Surya Tilak ceremony of the Ram Lalla at the Ayodhya Ram Temple involved a complex arrangement of lenses and mirrors to illuminate the idol's forehead at noon.

This was the first Surya Tilak ceremony of the Ram Lalla idol at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir. ( Image Source :Twitter/Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra )

The Surya Tilak ceremony of Ram Lalla at Ayodhya Ram Temple took place a while back, with the sun's rays illuminating the forehead of the idol at noon. The entire phenomenon lasted for 2.5 to 3 minutes amidst prayers, aarti and ringing of bells at Ayodhya Ram Temple. The size of the tilak was around 58 mm. Doorsharshan did a live telecast of the ceremony so that the entire nation can witness the historical moment. In addition, the event was also projected on large LED screens placed in nearly 100 places across Ayodhya.

Watch The Surya Abhishek Ceremony below:

Sun rays grace Ram Lalla's forehead in Ram Mandir, Ayodhya.#RamNavami #AyodhyaDham #RamotsavOnDD #NavyaMandirBhavyaRamNavmi #AyodhyaRamMandir pic.twitter.com/VGDFSEMgp0

— Doordarshan National दूरदर्शन नेशनल (@DDNational) April 17, 2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was campaigning in Assam, chanted 'Jai Shri Ram' during the ritual and requested the gathering to turn on the flashlights of their mobile phones.

"There is a new atmosphere in the entire country and this birthday of Lord Ram has come after 500 years, when he got the privilege of celebrating his birthday in his own home," PM Modi said.

What Is Surya Abhishek?

Surya Abhishek is a symbolic purification ritual where the Sun's rays are directed onto the deity's forehead, and it holds added significance because Lord Ram is believed to be from the Ishvaku lineage who are considered descendants of the Sun, or Suryavanshis.

Designed by a team of scientists led by S K Panigrahi, the Surya Tilak system included a combination 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 two to two-and-a-half minutes on the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami every year.

The apparatus, comprising reflective mirrors and lenses arranged within a gearbox, will channel sunlight from the temple's third floor near the shikara into the garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) at the appointed hour.