Ram Navami 2024: On the occasion of Ram Navami celebrations, since the morning of Wednesday, April 17, thousands of devotees have been gathering at the Ram temple in Ayodhya to get a glimpse of Ram Lalla. Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) spokesperson Sharad Sharma said that the 500-year wait for the celebration of Ram Navami in the Ram temple in Ayodhya is now over and today Surya Tilak of Ramlala has been done, due to which the whole country is very happy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also greeted people on the occasion of Ram Navami and said that today Ayodhya is in incomparable joy as this is the first time after the consecration of the Ram temple that the festival is being celebrated there.
- The much-awaited 'Surya Abhishek' of Ram Lalla started around 12:15 pm and lasted for four minutes. During this period, the sun's rays continued to form a 75 mm 'tilak' on Ram Lalla's forehead.
- On the occasion of Ram Navami, darshan in Ram temple started from 3:30 am today.
- The consecration of the idol of Ramlala in the Ram temple was done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 22, after which this is the first Ram Navami event which is being celebrated in a very grand manner after the consecration of the Ram idol in the new temple.
- Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust member Anil Mishra said that during Surya Tilak, devotees were allowed inside the Ram temple. Around 100 LED screens have been installed by the temple trust and 50 by the government, showing the Ram Navami celebrations, allowing people to watch the celebrations from wherever they are.
- 56 types of Bhog Prasad have also been offered to Ram Lala.
- Science behind Surya Tilak: Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust said scientists at the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Roorkee, have calculated the timing of Surya Tilak based on the movement of the Sun. "The 'Surya Abhishek' of Ram Lalla was done using an optomechanical system with high-quality mirrors and lenses," the trust said.
- To ensure the success of 'Surya Abhishek', CBRI experts are currently camping in Ayodhya.
- PM Modi's suggestion: During his visit to Ayodhya for the Deepotsav celebrations on October 23, 2022, PM Narendra Modi suggested to the trust members that the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram temple should be constructed in such a way that the sun's rays fall directly on Ram . On Ram Navami, the idol of Ramlala looked similar to the one seen in Konark Sun Temple in Odisha.
- To protect the devotees from the sun in the Ram temple, a permanent canopy has been installed on the Janmabhoomi Path, while a temporary canopy has also been installed on the Bhakti Path. Apart from this, the Ayodhya administration has set up help booths at 29 places in the mela area from Tedhi Bazaar to Naya Ghat.
- Talking about the timing of darshan in Ram temple, Ram Mandir Trust has also increased the duration of darshan of Ramlala to 19 hours, which will start from Mangala Aarti and continue till 11 pm. The curtain will remain closed only for five minutes during the offering of food four times.