At noon on Ram Navami, Surya Tilak was performed on Ram Lalla in Ayodhya as thousands gathered, with devotional chants and rituals marking the grand celebration.
Sun rays illuminate the forehead of Ram Lalla during the Surya Tilak ceremony at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on Ram Navami. | X/@ShriRamTeerth
On the auspicious occasion of the birth anniversary of Lord Ram’s infant form—Ram Lalla—precisely at 12:00 pm, the rays of the Sun God performed a ‘Surya Tilak’ (solar anointing) upon the forehead of the magnificent and divine idol of Ram Lalla, enshrined within the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram Temple.
The very moment of Lord Ram’s birth saw the entire Ram Temple complex reverberate with sky-piercing chants of “Jai Shri Ram.”
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Accompanied by the melodious music of bells, gongs, ‘mridangams’, and ‘manjiras’, devotees of Lord Ram were moved to ecstatic joy by the devotional hymn, “Bhaye Pragat Kripala Deen Dayala” (the compassionate one, the saviour of the downtrodden, has manifested). The entire Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple complex became completely immersed in the spirit of Lord Ram.
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The Ram Janmotsav (birth celebration) commenced at 9:00 am with the ‘Panchamrit Mahabhishek’—a grand ritual anointing—of Lord Ram. The Ram Temple complex was beautifully adorned with flowers. Lord Ram was exquisitely dressed and adorned, with Ram Lalla clad in yellow garments.
Following the offering of ‘Bhog Prasad’ (sacred food offering) to Ram Lalla, the ‘Aarti’ (ritual worship with lamps) was performed. The responsibility for executing the ‘Surya Tilak’ ceremony for Lord Ram was undertaken jointly by the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Roorkee, and the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru. A ten-year agreement regarding the organisation of the ‘Surya Tilak’ programme has been established between the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra and the Central Building Research Institute. The sun rays illuminated Lord Ram’s forehead for a total duration of six minutes.
Dr Anil Mishra, a member of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, stated that on the occasion of Lord Ram’s birth anniversary, the entirety of Ayodhya is immersed in the spirit of Lord Ram. Ram Navami is a principal festival in Ayodhya. Since early morning, devotees of Lord Ram have been eager to catch a ‘Darshan’ of Ram Lalla. Every devotee desires to bear witness to this transcendental moment of Lord Ram’s birth. This festival is celebrated simultaneously across all the temples of Ayodhya. Mahant Ramsharan Das of Rangmahal remarked that devotees of Lord Ram await this specific day and time throughout the entire year; by participating in the birth celebrations of Lord Ram, they consider their lives truly blessed.
Amidst adverse weather conditions, more than two million devotees took a holy dip in the River Saryu and offered donations by 12:00 pm. A massive surge of devotees flooded the streets of Ayodhya, including the Ram Path. Chanting “Jai Shri Ram,” devotees offered prayers and worship at the Ram Temple, Dashrath Mahal, Kanak Bhawan, Ram Vallabha Kunj, Rang Mahal, and Hanuman Garhi. After catching a glimpse of Lord Ram, the devotees also exchanged greetings with one another on the occasion of Ram Janmotsav.
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