Ayodhya: Thousands of devotees thronged Ayodhya’s Ram Temple on Wednesday, April 17, morning on the occasion of Ram Navami celebrations. Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) spokesperson Sharad Sharma said the celebrations of Ram Navami at the Ram temple in Ayodhya have been eagerly awaited for 500 years and the entire country is overjoyed.
The much-awaited ‘Surya Abhishek’ of Ram Lalla will occur around 12:15 pm, with the celestial event lasting for four minutes. During this period, the Sun’s rays will form a 75 mm ‘tilak’ on Ram Lalla’s forehead.
Before visiting the Ram temple, devotees took a dip in the holy waters of the Saryu River in Ayodhya. Devotees started flocking to the ghats at night. ‘Darshan’ started at Ram Temple at 3:30am.
This will be the first Ram Navami since the consecration of the Ram idol at the new temple, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 22.
A member of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust Anil Mishra said during the Surya tilak, devotees will be allowed inside the Ram temple. Around 100 LEDs are being put up by the temple trust, and 50 by the government, which will show the Ram Navami celebrations. People will be able to see the celebrations from where they are present.
Regarding security arrangements, IG (Ayodhya Range) Praveen Kumar said that arrangements have been made for devotees. “All the areas have been distributed into zones and sectors. Our volunteers and force multipliers have been put in place. Arrangements have also been made for the movement of heavy vehicles,” the IG told news agency ANI.
As many as 56 types of bhog prasad will also be offered to Ram Lalla.
The Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust said scientists from the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Roorkee, have calculated the timings of surya tilak based on the movement of the Sun. “The ‘Surya Abhishek’ of Ram Lalla will be performed using an optomechanical system with high-quality mirrors and lenses,” the Trust said.
