Berhampur: A ‘tilak’ of sunlight to be used on the idol of Ram Lalla in the newly constructed Ram temple in Ayodhya on Ram Navami has been crafted by a group of scientists headed by Odia scientist Saroj Kumar Panigrahi.
The ‘tilak’ on the idol in sanctum sanctorum of the temple will be visible only on the day of Ram Navami every year.
The scientists of Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Roorkee, headed by Odia scientist Panigrahi, has created this inventive system entirely from brass without using electricity or batteries. The circular ‘tilak’, measuring 75 mm, on the forehead of the idol has been created by using sunlight, mirrors and lenses.
Panigrahi said a complex arrangement of high-quality mirrors and lenses has been engineered to redirect sunlight onto the idol’s forehead for at least four minutes at 12.04 pm on every Ram Navami. However, there would be no sun tilak if the weather is cloudy, he clarified.
“We constructed it entirely from brass instead of iron or steel. Though direct sunlight does not fall on the temple’s sanctum sanctorum, we have evolved the mechanism by aligning the sun’s position with Ram Navami date,” he said.
The system is manually operated, reflecting a harmonious blend of human touch and scientific precision, and is scheduled to be installed on the temple’s third floor, said Saroj who is heading a team of 4 scientists. “Detailed calculations show that the English calendar date of Ram Navami repeats every 19 years. With this, we have developed this mechanism,” he added.
The optomechanical system, set to be installed on the temple’s third floor, incorporates high-quality mirrors (M1 and M2), a lens (L1), and vertical piping with lenses (L2 and L3) fixed at specific angles. Ground floor components include mirrors (M3 & M4) and a lens (L4).
Explaining the process, the scientist said, “When sunlight will fall on M1, it will travel through L1, M2, L1, L2, M3 (installed outside the Garbha Griha) and finally on M4, forming the shape of ‘tilak’ on the forehead of the idol.”
The Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangaluru and Bengaluru-based Optics & Allied Engineering Pvt Ltd participated in the process to prepare the blueprint of ‘Sun Tilak’. Both organisations handled the fabrication of mirrors, lenses and tilt mechanism for the temple at no cost though it was estimated to be Rs 80 to 90 lakh. The Indian Institute of Astrophysics gave consultancy to CBRI for the optical design.
Panigrahi, a native of Paralakhemundi in Gajapati district, had completed BTech from Burla and MTech from REC, Rourkela after completing his school studies in Maharaja’s Boys High School, Paralakhemundi in 1987.
