On the occasion of Ram Navami, the magnificent Ram Temple in Ayodhya saw a remarkable event today at noon; the forehead of the Ram Lalla deity was anointed with a ray of sunshine, known as "Surya Tilak."
With the aid of cutting-edge scientific knowledge, a 5.8 cm laser beam struck the deity's forehead. A device specifically developed for this purpose was created. This auspicious Ram Navami ceremony was made possible by a group of 10 distinguished Indian scientists who are stationed at the Ram Mandir. For approximately 3 to 3.5 minutes starting at 12 noon, sunlight was precisely directed onto the statue's forehead using a combination of mirrors and lenses.
There is no way for direct sunlight to enter the temple's sanctum sanctorum. Thus, an elaborate mechanism involving mirrors and lenses (called opto-mechanical system) was used through which sun rays were directed at the forehead of the Ram idol.
The mechanism was devised by scientists at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), an autonomous body under the Department of Science and Technology, in collaboration with Roorkee's Central Building Research Institute. The government official said the IIA team modified the optomechanical system to suit the present structure as the temple was not fully complete. It will take another two years for the construction of the Ram Mandir complex to be completed.