Ram Lalla's Surya Tilak: Sunlight Illuminates Lord Ram's Forehead At Ayodhya Mandir After 500 Years | Watch

The forehead of the Ram Lalla idol at Ayodhya Temple is illuminated by 'Surya Tilak' on Ram Navami. During the ceremony, the priest and the devotees were singing devotional songs. The room was turned dark and the only light in premise was seen Surya Tilak on Ram Lalla.

Ram Navami, the celebration of the birth of Lord Ram, an avatar of Lord Vishnu, is observed on the 9th day of Chaitra, falling in March or April.

This year, Ram Navami is celebrated on April 17. According to Drik Panchang, Navami Tithi begins at 01:23 pm on April 16 and ends at 03:14 pm on April 17.

The historic occasion of Ram Navami was marked by celebrations at the newly-built Ayodhya's Ram Mandir for the first time on Wednesday. During this event, 'Surya Tilak' occurred from 12:16 pm to 12:21 pm, symbolically marking the forehead of Ram Lalla's idol placed in the 'garbh griha' with the rays of the sun.

According to a senior scientist from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) in Roorkee, the planned size of the tilak is 58 mm. It was mentioned that the exact duration of the tilak on the forehead center was about three to three-and-a-half minutes, with two minutes of full illumination.

An earlier statement by Anil Mishra, a member of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, indicated that during the Surya tilak, devotees would be allowed inside the Ram temple. The temple trust is putting up around 100 LED screens, and the government is installing 50 screens, which will display the Ram Navami celebrations. The celebrations will be viewable by people from their respective locations, as reported by Hindustan Times.

The chief priest further revealed that everything had been decorated and the idol of Lord Ram had been specially dressed for the day, stating, "He is dressed in yellow clothes, and after this he is bathed with Panchamrit. Four-five types of panjiris are made, along with 56 types of offerings being presented to the Lord."

Pictures of priests performing Divya Abhisheka of Ramlalla Sarkar at the temple were posted by the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra, a trust constituted to manage the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya, on its official X handle. The trust also shared images of the Divya Shringar of Lord Rama on the occasion.

Earlier, greetings for the festival were extended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his official X handle. "Infinite best wishes to my family members across the country on the occasion of Lord Shri Ram's birth anniversary, Ram Navami! On this auspicious occasion, my heart is overwhelmed and fulfilled. It is the supreme grace of Shri Ram that this year, along with millions of my countrymen, I became a witness to the Pran-Pratishtha in Ayodhya. The memories of that moment of Avadhpuri still pulsate in my mind with the same energy," Modi said.

"This is the first Ram Navami when our Ram Lalla has been enthroned in the grand and divine Ram temple of Ayodhya. Today, Ayodhya is in unparalleled joy in this celebration of Ram Navami. After waiting for five centuries, today we have got the privilege of celebrating this Ram Navami in Ayodhya in this manner. This is the fruit of so many years of hard penance, sacrifice, and dedication of the countrymen," Modi added.

Notably, PM Modi was holding a rally at Nalbari for the upcoming Lok Sabha Election 2024 during the Surya Tilak of Ram Lalla at Ayodhya. After, the rally, like many of us, PM Modi also saw the Surya Abhishek of Ram Lalla digitally through the DD News Telecast. The photos of the moment were also shared on his X handle in which one can see PM Modi paying respect to Ram Lalla.

Taking to X, PM Modi wrote, "After my Nalbari rally, I watched the Surya Tilak on Ram Lalla. Like crores of Indians, this is a very emotional moment for me. The grand Ram Navami in Ayodhya is historic. May this Surya Tilak bring energy to our lives and may it inspire our nation to scale new heights of glory."

Further, attention is drawn to Ram Navami processions in West Bengal, where politics has stirred over the festival's celebration in the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday, criticized the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), stating that the party had "tried its best to stop Ram Navami celebrations" in Bengal, as reported by News18.

"It is known that the TMC, as always, has made efforts to obstruct the Ram Navami celebrations and plotted various conspiracies. However, only the truth prevails. Therefore, the court has granted permission, and Ram Navami processions will be conducted tomorrow with full reverence and devotion," PM Modi stated at a public meeting in Balurghat in South Dinajpur.