Before the special ceremony for the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has shared pictures of the temple taken by our own satellite from space.
The National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), a key part of ISRO, shared these pictures, giving us a close look at the under-construction Ram Mandir. These images were captured on December 16, 2023, by ISRO's IRS Cartosat Satellite, a month before the consecration ceremony.
The pictures not only show the 2.7-acre Ram Temple site under construction but also include views of Ayodhya’s famous Dashrath Mahal, Sarayu River, and the newly renovated railway station in the city.
Unfortunately, more recent images could not be captured due to dense fog covering most parts of North India.
The construction of the grand temple began three years ago, and the first phase is nearing completion, with the ground floor and the sanctum sanctorum set for inauguration on January 22. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will preside over the consecration ceremony.
In another development, scientists at the CSIR-Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) have designed a system called "Surya Tilak" for the Ram temple. This system uses lenses and mirrors to direct sunlight onto the idol’s forehead for about six minutes starting from noon. The design of "Surya Tilak" was led by a team of scientists, and the Indian Institute of Astrophysics contributed to the project based on astronomical observations and also provided input for the mechanical and structural design. CBRI chief scientist R Dharamraju explained that an optical lens on the third floor of the temple will channel the sunlight to the ground floor through a series of reflectors in pipes to achieve this effect.
