The holy city of Ayodhya was drenched with devotion, joy and grandeur on the occasion of Ram Navami on Friday. With the birth of Ramlala, the echo of 'Bhaye Pragat Kripala, Deen Dayala' started being heard all around. This sound of Ram's name was pleasing not only to the ears but also to the heart of every devotee. Meanwhile, a divine coincidence happened for Ramlala to do Surya Tilak. On the birth anniversary of Lord Shri Ram, divine 'Surya Tilak' was applied to Ramlala with the rays of the sun in the Ram Janmabhoomi temple. At exactly 12 noon, the golden rays of the sun entered the sanctum sanctorum through scientific arrangement and remained on the head of Ramlala for four minutes. This scene became a symbol of the wonderful union of faith and modern science.
Lakhs of devotees reached Ramnagari to witness this historic moment directly or through live telecast. Shouts of Jai Jai Siyaram, Jai Shri Ram kept echoing everywhere. This Surya Tilak became a symbol of divine grace towards Ramlala. Devotees believe that this scene will give the message of unwavering faith in Lord Ram to the coming generations also. After the program, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also congratulated the people of the country and the state on the birth of Lord Shri Ram and shared an emotional message on social media.
On Ram Navami, Ram Janmabhoomi temple was decorated with flowers, lights and colorful strings. Vedic chanting, bhajan-kirtan and aarti were going on in the temple premises since morning. Ramlala was consecrated. After the Prakat Utsav, the main program of Surya Tilak took place at 12 noon.
On the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami, a huge crowd of devotees gathered in Ayodhya. Giving information, DM Nikhil Tikaram Funde said that on March 26 and 27, about 35 lakh devotees reached Ayodhya on the occasion of Ram Navami. According to the information, about 3.5 lakh devotees have visited Ram temple till today afternoon. It is estimated that by late night this number may increase to around 4 lakhs. On the occasion of Ram Navami, a wonderful scene of reverence and devotion was seen in Ayodhya. Extensive arrangements were made by the administration for the convenience, security and smooth darshan arrangements of the devotees.
A huge crowd of devotees has gathered in Ayodhya. It is estimated that lakhs of devotees came to see Ramlala throughout the day. A flood of devotees were seen in Ram Path, Saryu Ghat and surrounding areas. Bhandaras were organized at various places, where about 5 quintals of Panjiri and Laddus brought from Mathura were distributed as Prasad.
56 types of offerings were offered to Ramlala. Ram Janmotsav was celebrated with great pomp in thousands of temples of Ayodhya including Dashrath Mahal, Kanak Bhawan, Hanuman Garhi. Special worship, kirtan and satsang were organized in about 8,000 temples.
The security arrangements remained tight under the direction of Uttar Pradesh government and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Ayodhya was divided into many zones and sectors. Traffic plan was implemented, drone surveillance, anti-drone system and additional police forces were deployed. Holding areas, barriers and shuttle services were arranged for crowd management. Intelligence agencies remained alert to prevent any untoward incident. As a result the celebration was completed with peace and discipline.
Female devotee Aastha who came from Prayagraj told that this Surya Tilak not only has religious importance, but it is also a symbol of the fact that the light of Lord Ram illuminates the entire world like the Sun. Sanjeev, who came from Basti with his family for darshan, says that this divine darshan of Ramlala infused new energy and unity into crores of Hindu hearts. The devotees coming from India and abroad are considering this moment as the most memorable event of their life.
Local resident Kavita said that this festival of Ram Navami in Ayodhya has become not just a religious event but a symbol of cultural renaissance. The grand Ram temple, the sanctity of the Saryu river and the waves of devotion to Ram are making the entire atmosphere divine. Bhajan-kirtan, Ramlila and cultural programs continued till evening.
