Ram Navami at Ayodhya temple: Grand celebrations for Ram Lalla after ‘500 years’ | 10 points

Ram Navami at Ayodhya temple: The much-awaited ‘surya tilak’ of Ram Lalla occurred around noon, with the celestial event lasting for four minutes.

Ram Navami 2024 news updates: 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.

Priests perform 'abhishek' of Ram Lalla on the occasion of 'Ram Navami' festival, at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on April 17. (PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also greeted people on the occasion of Ram Navami and said Ayodhya is in incomparable bliss as this is the first time the festival will be celebrated there after the consecration of the Ram temple.

The much-awaited ‘Surya Abhishek’ of Ram Lalla occurred around noon, with the celestial event lasting for four minutes. During this period, the Sun’s rays formed ‘tilak’ on Ram Lalla’s forehead. Follow Live Updates on Ram Navami

Top updates on Ram Navami at Ayodhya Ram Temple

1. Devotees in Ayodhya: 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.
2. Consecration of Ram idol: 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.
3. LED screens put up: 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 LED screens 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.
4. Security arrangements in Ayodhya: Regarding security arrangements, IG (Ayodhya Range) Praveen Kumar said 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.
5. Bhog prasad at Ram mandir: As many as 56 types of bhog prasad will also be offered to Ram Lalla.
6. Science behind surya tilak: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.
7. ‘Surya Abhishek’: Experts from the CBRI are currently camping in Ayodhya to ensure the success of the ‘Surya Abhishek’.
8. PM Modi's suggestion: During his visit to Ayodhya for the Deepotsav celebration on October 23, 2022, PM Narendra Modi suggested to the trust members that the sanctum-sanctorum of the Ram Mandir should be constructed in such a way that sun rays fall directly on Ram Lalla idol on Ram Navami, similar to the phenomenon at the Konark Sun Temple in Odisha.
9. Permanent canopy for devotees at Ram temple: A permanent canopy has been put up on the Janmabhoomi Path to protect devotees from Sun while a temporary canopy has been put up on the Bhakti Path as well. Besides, the Ayodhya administration has set up help booths at 29 locations in the Mela area from Tedhi Bazar up to Naya ghat.
10. Darshan timing at Ram temple: The trust has also extended the duration of Darshan to 19 hours, starting from the Mangala Aarti and continuing until 11 pm. The curtain will be closed only for five minutes during the four bhog offerings.