On Wednesday, the 2024 Ram Navmi witnessed a historic event at Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir. The ‘Surya Tilak’ illuminated the forehead of Ram Lalla for the first time since its installation in January. But this “Surya Tilak illumination” has a scientific process behind it which included mirrors and lenses. The system was tested by the scientists on Tuesday.
Know the technology behind the Surya Tilak illumination
The whole system is based on the optomechanical system which is specially deigned to converge and focus sun rays on the idol’s forehead.
The scientists from the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) in Roorkee involved in the project were aware about the intense heat that is generated when sun rays are concentrated through a system of lenses and mirrors onto a single point.
To address this, the system incorporates an infrared filter which is constructed from a heat absorbing material. It blocks or deflects high-energy photons that would otherwise transfer heat to the idol. This filter is placed at the aperture itself.
The aperture is an opening on the first floor through which sunlight enters the “garbhagriha” or the sanctum sanctorum. When the Sun is ‘at the right place’, the rays enter from the top of ‘garbhagriha’ through the infrared filter in the aperture.
A combination of four lenses and an equal number of mirrors placed at a specific angle inside the brass pipes converge the rays into a single beam that falls on Ram Lalla’s forehead. In order to avoid scattering of light, black powder has been coated on the inner surface of the pipes, elbows and joints.
The impressive thing about this is there’s no use of batteries or electronic devices in the entire system. Since the system can be operated manually, it can be used for years to come by just making slight adjustments.
Description of The Surya Tilak
According to a senior scientist of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Roorkee, the planned tilak size was 58 mm. The exact period of tilak on the forehead center was about three to three-and-a-half minutes, with two minutes of full illumination, he said.
PM Modi’s appeal on the event
PM Modi said “Today is the historic occasion of Ram Navami. After waiting for 500 years, Lord Ram has been seated in his grand temple. Now after a few minutes, by applying Surya Tilak to Lord Ram, his birth anniversary will be celebrated in the holy city of Ayodhya, in the Ram Temple.”
दिव्य-भव्य राम मंदिर में राम लला की प्राण-प्रतिष्ठा के बाद ये पहली रामनवमी है, जिसमें प्रभु श्री राम के सूर्य तिलक का अलौकिक अवसर भी आया है। दुनियाभर के राम भक्तों से मेरा आग्रह है कि वे इस अद्भुत क्षण का साक्षी जरूर बनें। https://t.co/jBw1J0GMOY
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 17, 2024
The Ram Janmabhoomi for the second time is witnessing a grand celebration, after the magnificent ceremony of pran pratishtha. Ram Navami is being celebrated with great pomp at Ram Mandir with offerings of 56 types of bhog, prasad and panjiri
What Acharya Satyendra Das, the Chief priest has to say?
Acharya Satyendra Das, chief priest of Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, said all the arrangements for the celebration are being managed by the Trust and the occasion of Ram Navami is being celebrated with great enthusiasm.
The chief priest further informed that everything has been decorated and the idol of Lord Ram has been specially dressed for the day, “He is dressed in yellow clothes, and after this he is bathed with Panchamrit. Four-five types of panjiris are made and along with that, 56 types of offerings are made to the Lord.”
The Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra, a trust constituted to look after the management of Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya, on its official X handle posted pictures of priests performing Divya Abhisheka of Ramlalla Sarkar at the temple. The trust also posted pictures of the Divya Shringar of Lord Rama on the occasion.
श्री राम नवमी पर प्रभु के दिव्य श्रृंगार की छटा अदभुत है।
The Divya Shringar of Prabhu on Shri Ram Navami. pic.twitter.com/Nt6Zz3ZlBr
— Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra (@ShriRamTeerth) April 17, 2024
