Ram Lalla's First Ram Navami: The Science Behind The Surya Tilak In Ayodhya

On Ram Navami today, a special event is set to occur. Ram Lalla, who was welcomed to Ayodhya's Ram Temple in January, will be witness to Surya Tilak or Surya Abhishek, during which the deity's forehead will be kissed by the Sun's rays.

The forehead of Ram Lalla will be directly illuminated by the Sun's rays during the ritual. Lord Ram, from the Ishvaku clan, is believed to be descended from the Sun or Suryavanshis, reported News 18.

Sun's Rays Illuminate Ram Lalla's Forehead with Surya Tilak

At 12 pm today, the forehead of Ram Lalla, seated in the sanctum sanctorum of Ram Mandir, will be illuminated by sun rays for approximately 2.5 minutes, creating a Surya Tilak.

The Surya Tilak mechanism was designed by scientists from IIT-Roorkee, who were enlisted to create an apparatus using high-quality mirrors and lenses to precisely direct the Sun's rays onto Ram Lalla's forehead at a specific time.

According to reports, the apparatus, consisting of a gearbox arranged with reflective mirrors and lenses, will reflect sunrays from the third floor near the 'shikara' into the 'garbhagriha' (sanctum sanctorum) at the designated time.

Components of the tilak apparatus were crafted using brass and bronze materials for durability and corrosion resistance. The gearbox was engineered based on the lunar calendar to accurately position the sun on Ram Navami day each year. The optical path, pipings, and tip-tilts were designed without springs for longevity and low maintenance, as reported by News18. Trials of the Surya Tilak mechanism have already been conducted by scientists.

Technical support on the Sun's path was provided by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru, with Optica, a Bengaluru-based company, involved in manufacturing the lenses and brass tubes. CBRI scientist Dr. Pradeep Chauhan, involved in the Ram temple design, confirmed that the Surya Tilak will anoint the forehead of the idol of Ram Lalla without the use of electricity, battery, or iron, as reported by NDTV.

The surya tilak apparatus utilized Pancha Dhathu, a traditional Indian alloy. Former ISRO scientist Manish Purohit mentioned that Archaeoastronomy, the metonic cycle, and the analemma were considered to ensure the Sun's rays illuminate Ram Lalla's forehead on the specific date of Ram Navami and corresponding 'tithi'.

Sun Worship in Various Temples

Sun worship, known as Surya Abhishek, is practised in several Jain and Hindu sun temples, according to the News18 report.

At the Suriyanar Kovil Temple (Tamil Nadu), dating back to the 11th-12th century, the temple is designed to align sunlight with specific points during certain times of the year, illuminating the deity, Suriyanar (Sun), and his consorts, Ushadevi and Pratyusha Devi.

In the Nanarayanaswamy Temple (Andhra Pradesh), located in Nagalapuram district, a five-day Surya Puja Mahotsavam is hosted where the Sun's rays penetrate the temple and transition through phases each day. During this period, the Sun's rays move from the feet to the navel of the presiding deity in the garbhagriha, which represents the 'Matsya avatar' (fish) of Lord Vishnu.

The Mahalakshmi Temple (Maharashtra), known as the Chalukyan Mahalakshmi Temple in Kolhapur, is renowned for its bi-annual event called Kiranotsav. This rare event occurs when sunrays directly fall on the deity's idol in the temple through the Garud Mandap to reach the 'garbhagriha'. The sunrays illuminate the feet of the goddess Mahalaxmi twice a year and also the central part of the idol on two specific days, bathing the entire idol.

Annually at the Koba Jain Temple (Gujarat) in Ahmedabad, Surya Abhishek takes place when sunrays fall directly on the forehead of the marble statue of the deity, Mahaveerswami, at 2.07 pm for three minutes. This event is attended by lakhs of Jains worldwide.

In the Unav Balaji Surya Temple (Madhya Pradesh), a festival is hosted in Datia dedicated to the Sun God, where the first rays of the Sun at dawn fall directly on the idol in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.

The Modhera Sun Temple (Gujarat), dating back to the 11th century, witnesses a unique phenomenon where sunrays enter the temple and fall on the idol of the Sun God twice a year.

The Konark Sun Temple (Odisha), constructed in the 13th century and dedicated to the Sun God, is famous for the way sunlight bathes the temple, particularly at sunrise. The temple's design ensures that the first rays of the Sun touch the temple's main entrance, then filter through its different doorways, casting light upon the 'garbhagriha' inside, as per media reports.

The 15th-century Ranakpur Jain Temples (Rajasthan) in the Aravallis are constructed of white marbles designed to allow sunlight to enter its inner sanctum directly. The architecture enables the Sun's rays to cascade directly onto the idol of the Sun God.

The Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple (Karnataka), located near Bengaluru, dedicated to Lord Shiva, sees sunrays illuminate the statue of Nandi every Makar Sankranti, reaching the feet of the Shivlingam and eventually covering the entire deity. The garbhagriba, carved from a specific type of rock, allows direct sunlight to penetrate its otherwise dark cave interior.