Surya Tilak’ (Sun’s rays) illuminated the forehead of Lord Ram Lalla idol at the Ayodhya Temple today on the occasion of Ram Navami. This elaborate feat was made possible by a sophisticated mechanism involving mirrors and lenses, tested by scientists on Tuesday. Notably, this marked the first Ram Navami celebration since the consecration of the Ram idol at the Ayodhya temple, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 22. The team responsible for the development of the ‘Surya Tilak’ system is led by Saroj Kumar Panigrahi, hailing from Paralakhemundi in Gajapati district of Odisha. Panigrahi, an accomplished engineer, completed his education in Burla and REC Rourkela before spearheading this groundbreaking project.

The engineering marvel was meticulously designed by the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Roorkee, with consultancy provided by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics for the optical design. Fabrication of the optical elements, pipes, tilt mechanism, and related components was entrusted to Optics & Allied Engineering Pvt Ltd (Optica), a Bangalore-based company. The system, designed to create a circular ‘Surya Tilak’ measuring 55 mm to 60 mm on the idol’s forehead using sunlight, mirrors, and lenses, lasts for five minutes from 11.58 am to 12.03 pm. Prior to its implementation in the Ram Mandir, scaled-down models were successfully validated in Roorkee and Bangalore.

Installation of the system by the CBRI, Roorkee team, alongside partners from IIA Bangalore and Optica Bangalore, was completed in the first week of April, followed by repeated trials. The final trial, utilizing sunlight, was successfully conducted on April 8 at 12 noon. The manually-operated system, installed on the temple’s third floor, incorporates high-quality mirrors, lenses, and vertical piping with lenses fixed at specific angles. Components on the ground floor include mirrors and a lens, collectively ensuring the precise alignment of the ‘Surya Tilak’ on Ram Lalla’s forehead.