Science behind Ayodhya's 'Surya Tilak' Ritual

The Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), an autonomous body under the Department of Science and Technology, has played a pivotal role in the 'Surya Tilak' project at the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya.

On the occasion of Ram Navami, the forehead of the idol of Ram Lalla was anointed with a ray of sunlight, known as the 'Surya Tilak', in a special ritual. Prime Minister Narendra Modi witnessed the live 'Surya Abhishek' on his iPad.

In a series of posts on the social media platform X, Abhay Karandikar, the Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, and former Director of IIT Kanpur, provided details on how the IIA scientists executed the 'Surya Tilak' project.

Karandikar explained that the team from IIA, Bengaluru, carried out calculations of the sun's position, designed and optimized the optical system, and performed the integration and alignment at the site. They modified the design to suit the existing temple structure and performed image optimization.

The final design of the 'Surya Tilak' system, with four mirrors and four lenses, will be implemented once the full temple is constructed, with the mirrors and lenses placed in their permanent fixtures.

The team also accounted for the changing position of the sun in the sky on the day of Ram Navami, which follows the Lunar Calendar and repeats every 19 years. They estimated the size, shape, and location of the mirrors and lenses to ensure sufficient light fell on the idol for about six minutes.

The opto-mechanical design and manual mechanism were carried out by the team to shift the position of the first mirror according to the sun's position in the sky, allowing the system to function flawlessly.

The device has been manufactured by Optica, Bangalore, and the implementation of the opto-mechanical system at the site is being done by the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Roorkee.

The successful execution of the 'Surya Tilak' ritual, with the crucial involvement of Indian scientists, highlights the country's expertise in integrating technology and tradition to commemorate significant events.