4-minute Suryatilak at Ram temple in Ayodhya in April

Lucknow/Ayodhya: The suryatilak to be organised at the Ram temple in Ayodhya next month will last for about four minutes. The size of the Suryatilak will be around 75mm.
Gearing up for Ram Navami, which is scheduled to be celebrated on Apr 6, the temple trust has invited scientists and experts from CSIR-CBRI in Roorkee and IIA (Indian Institute of astrophysics) in Bengaluru, who were instrumental in putting up the apparatus last year.
A set of lenses and mirrors are placed within the sanctum sanctorum and over the shikhar (top) of the temple to trap the sunlight and divert it in a way that it reflects over the forehead of Ram Lalla's idol for a brief period.
While the first suryatilak was carried out last year on Apr 17, when Ram Navami celebrations were held after the inauguration of the temple, this time elaborate arrangements are being made by the team of experts.
Leader of the team, SK Panigrahi from CBRI, said, "The entire procedure will be handled manually this time as well. Last year we removed the apparatus completely as the first floor and the shikhar of the temple were not complete. Our attempt is to fix the apparatus permanently in the temple before Apr 6. Through celestial calculations and software, the same apparatus will work for the next 19 years (up to 2044), after which recalibration could be required."
Every year, the angle of the apparatus will have to be adjusted manually on Ram Navami to organise the suryatilak. The phenomenon will be conducted at around 12pm, and proceedings will be screened live on television for the devotees who are unable to visit Ayodhya.