Ram Navami: 'Surya Tilak' ceremony of Lord Ram takes place at Ayodhya temple

On the occasion of Ram Navami on Sunday (April 6), the 'Surya Tilak' ceremony of Lord Ram took place at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

Also read: Ram Temple Trust paid Rs 400 crore in taxes over five years

Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust shared the video of the ‘Surya Tilak’ on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, and wrote, "Surya Tilak of Prabhu on the pious occasion of Shri Ram Navami."

Devotees dance with joy

The Trust also shared photographs of 'abhishek' of Prabhu Shri Ramlalla Sarkar on Ram Navami.

Also read: Ayodhya Ram temple extends visiting hours, gates now open from 6 am

"As soon as the radiant rays of Lord Bhaskar (Sun), travelling through the old familiar path converged on the forehead of Balak Shri Ram Lalla, the devotees present in front of the Lord danced with joy," Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust said in a statement.

"Devotees hailed this moment. Those who could not reach Ayodhya, watched the live telecast of the Mahamastakabhishek of Shri Ram Lalla from their places," the statement added.

Over 10 lakh devotees

A large number of devotees have been visiting the temple since morning to offer prayers to Lord Ram on this occasion and have his glimpse. Over 10 lakh devotees were expected in Ayodhya on Sunday.

"The Surya Tilak on the forehead of Lord Ram lasted for almost 4 minutes and it began at 12 noon," Anil Mishra, a member of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, told PTI.

The final trial was done on Saturday to arrange for the blessings of the Sun God to reach Shri Ram Lalla's forehead.

"This work had been done once earlier, so there were no complications this time. There were some problems due to the continuous construction work on the upper floors," the statement said.

"This time, along with the prasad made of coriander, there was also a prasad of fruit laddus," it added.

Radiant blessing

With folded hands and eyes filled with devotion, crores of devotees across India and the world witnessed this miraculous scene on their screens. It was like a glimpse of Treta Yuga, which had come alive once again, the Uttar Pradesh government said in a statement.

This divine 'Surya Tilak' was not just a symbolic ritual. It became a radiant blessing, a message of unwavering devotion to be passed down to future generations, the statement added.

For the past eight days, Ramnagari celebrated Ram Janmotsav with an unmatched fervour, reaching its peak on Ram Navami.

The grand temple opened its doors to devotees at 6 am. The sacred 'abhishek' of Lord Ram was performed with milk, curd and ghee, and the holy waters of the Saryu from 9.30 am to 10.30 am.

Following the ritual bath, Lord Ram was adorned in new garments, jewelled ornaments and a resplendent golden crown.

A 'bhog' of 56 delicacies was offered and an 'aarti' was performed precisely at noon amid the resonance of temple bells, the statement added.

UP CM's wishes

Extending his wishes to the people of Uttar Pradesh on the occasion of Ram Navami, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in a post on X in Hindi said, “Happy Shri Ram Navami to all Rama devotees and residents of the state on the holy birthday of the lifeblood of India, the ideal of humanity, the best form of religion, our adorable dignity Purushottam Lord Shri Ram!”

“Ram is in the faith, dignity and philosophy of India. Ram is the formula of India's 'Unity in Diversity'. May the grace of Lord Rama, the centre of faith of people, rest upon the universe. I pray that everyone will be well. This holy festival of Shri Ram Navami is an opportunity to make a resolution to imbibe the teachings and ideals of the dignified Purushottam Lord Shri Ram into our personality. Hail to the merciful Lord Sri Rama!” he added.

(With agency inputs)