It's a special day, and on Ram Navami and on this special occasion of Ram Navami, ‘Surya Abhishek’ of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya temple was held precisely at noon for about three minutes.

The ‘Surya Tilak’ or ‘Surya Abhishek’ refers to a ray of sunlight made to fall on the idol’s forehead on a designated day, in this case, Ram Navami, believed to be the birthday of Lord Ram that usually falls during March or April.

Lord Ram from the Ishvaku clan is believed to the descendants of the Sun God or Suryavanshis.

Scientists from IIT-Roorkee were roped in to design the Surya Tilak mechanism. They employed an apparatus with high-quality mirrors and lenses to precisely direct the Sun’s rays onto Ram Lalla’s forehead at a specific time.

Reports suggest the apparatus is a gearbox arranged with reflective mirrors and lenses. It will help sunrays from the third floor near the ‘shikara’ to be reflected into the ‘garbhagriha’ (sanctum sanctorum) at a specific time.

The tilak apparatus used components made of brass and bronze materials for their durability and corrosion resistance. Based on the lunar calendar, the gearbox has been engineered to accurately position the sun on Ram Navami day each year, as mentioned in a report by India Today. The optical path, pipings, and tip-tilts are designed without springs for longevity and low maintenance.

Scientists have already done trials of the Surya Tilak mechanism.

Pancha Dhathu, a traditional Indian alloy, has also been used in the surya tilak apparatus. Former Isro scientist Manish Purohit said, as quoted by India Today, three things have been considered while ensuring the Sun’s rays illuminate Ram Lalla’s forehead — Archaeoastronomy, metonic cycle and analemma.