Bengaluru IIA Institute: The Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) in Bengaluru has successfully executed the "Surya Tilak", illuminating the forehead of the Ram Lalla idol on the occasion of Ram Navami. The Surya Tilak, designed by a team of IIA, utilised advanced optical technology to direct sunlight onto the Ram Lalla's idol. The Department of Science and Technology has announced that this ritual will be repeated every year on Ram Navami
Abhay Karandikar, the Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology, expressed his appreciation for the IIA's crucial role in Surya Tilak. In a post on X, he stated, "Indian Institute of Astrophysics @IIABengaluru, an autonomous body under @IndiaDST, has played a crucial role in the #SuryaTilak Project at #Ayodhya. Sunlight was directed onto the forehead of Sri Ram Lalla at 12 noon on April 17, 2024, on the occasion of Sri #RamNavami in the Chaitra month, and this ritual will be repeated every year."
Science Behind Surya Tilak
The IIA team led the project by calculating the position of the sun, designing and optimising the optical system and aligning it at the site. Given that the temple is under construction, the experts at IIA modified the design to suit the existing structure and achieved image optimisation. The initial design, consisting of four mirrors and two lenses, was successfully implemented for the Surya Tilak ritual. However, the final design, incorporating four mirrors and four lenses, will be implemented once the temple is fully constructed.
Planned Size Of The Surya Tilak
A senior scientist from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Reseach (CSIR)-Central Building Reseach Institute (CBRI) in Roorkee revealed that the planned size of the tilak was 58 mm. The illumination on the forehead center lasted for approximately three to three-and-a-half minutes, with two minutes of full illumination.
Surya Tilak Was Manufactured By Optica In Bengaluru
The device responsible for reflecting the illumination onto the Ram Lalla idol was manufactured by Optica in Bengaluru and its implementation was carried out at the Central Building Research Institute. Abhay further explained in an X post, "The English calendar date of Sri Ram Navami festival changes every year as it follows the Lunar Calendar. Therefore, the position of the sun in the sky changes every year on the day of Sri Ram Navami. Detailed calculations show that the English calendar date of Sri Ram Navami repeats every 19 years. Calculating the position of the sun in the sky on these days requires expertise in astronomy. Opto-mechanical design of the lens and mirror holder assembly, along with a manual mechanism, were employed to adjust the position of the first mirror according to the sun's position in the sky."