Surya Tilak Ceremony 2025: The holy city of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh is all decked up to celebrate Ram Navami, marking the birth of Lord Ram, with thousands flocking to the Ram Mandir to worship the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu. One of the biggest highlights of the day is the Surya Tilak ceremony, a spiritual experience signifying the birth of the Hindu god.
Designed by Indian scientists, the Surya Tilak ceremony is a once-in-a-year spiritual event where a special mirror and lens-based apparatus, designed by Indian scientists, are used to ensure that a ray of sunlight, resembling a tilak, falls directly on the forehead of the idol.
The Surya Tilak mechanism is designed by a team of scientists from the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Roorkee, in such a manner that sunrays fall on the forehead of Lord Ram’s idol at 12 pm on Ram Navami day every year for about six minutes.
Notably, a gearbox and reflective mirrors and lenses have been arranged in such a manner that sunrays from the third floor near the shikara will be redirected to the Garbha Griha (sanctum sanctorum) using well-known principles of tracking the Sun’s path.
CBRI scientist Dr Pradeep Chauhan, who helped in the design of the Ram temple told NDTV that, “100 per cent the Surya Tilak will anoint the forehead of the idol of Ram Lalla”.
A similar Surya Tilak mechanism already exists in some Jain temples and at the Sun Temple at Konark, but they are engineered differently.
Surya Tilak ceremony timings
-
9:30 AM to 10:30 AM: Anointment of Ram Lalla.
-
10:30 AM to 10:40 AM: Curtain remains closed.
-
10:40 AM to 11:45 AM: Curtain reopens, followed by Bhog offering.
- 12:00 PM: Surya Tilak and symbolic birth of Lord Ram.
Also Read | Ram Navami 2025: Step-By-Step Instructions To Perform Puja At Home
Where to watch Surya Tilak ceremony?
The entire spiritual experience will be broadcast live on Doordarshan, the national broadcaster. It will also be live streamed on social media platforms managed by the Ram Mandir Trust. As for devotees who are in Ayodhya but cannot reach the temple, the ceremony will be displayed on LED screens installed across the holy city.
