Ayodhya, 17 April (HS): The 'Surya tilak' of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya was performed at noon on Wednesday in honour of Ram Navami, employing a complex apparatus comprising mirrors and lenses to focus sunbeams onto the forehead of the Ram image. This is the first Ram Navami after Prime Minister Narendra Modi consecrated the Ram image at the new temple on January 22.

According to Prakash Gupta, the temple's spokesman, the Surya Tilak was performed for around 4-5 minutes as the sun rays were directly concentrated on the forehead of the Ram Lalla statue. To minimize overcrowding, the temple authorities banned worshipers from accessing the sanctum sanctorum during the Surya Tilak, according to Gupta.

Dr. DP Kanungo, the Chief Scientist at CSIR-CBRI, Roorkee, remarked, As planned, the Surya Tilak of Ram Lalla was perfectly executed at 12:00 pm. The technology was tested by scientists on Tuesday.

Dr. S K Panigrahi, a scientist from CSIR-CBRI Roorkee who was also involved in the study, stated that the Surya Tilak initiative's primary goal is to focus on the 'tilak' on the forehead of Shri Ram idols on Shri Ram Navami day. Every year on Shri Ram Navami in the Chaitra month, sunlight would be delivered to Lord Ram's forehead at noon under the initiative.

Hindusthan Samachar/Abhishek Awasthi/Manoj