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Cultivating Love for Learning

SCOPE Current Affairs

Ram idol’s ‘Surya Abhishek’ on Ram Navami as trials

successful, says trust

The ground-breaking feature of ‘Surya Abhishek’ or
the sun’s rays illuminating Ram Lalla’s idol at the
Ayodhya temple will become a reality this Ram
Navami, blending spirituality with scientific
innovation.
‘Surya Abhishek’ of the idol of Ram Lalla will be held
on Ram Navami (April 17) as trials of the
optomechanical system installed for the purpose
were successful, functionaries of the Ram
Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust said
Daily trials will continue to be conducted to ensure
that sunrays fall at the centre of the idol’s forehead at 12 noon on April 17. “Sunrays will illuminate the face of
Ram Lalla for straight four minutes. Teams of scientists from the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI),
Roorkee, and another institute are engaged in this work,”
Gopi Thotakura, Indian pilot set to fly to space as a

tourist

Pilot Gopichand Thotakura is set to become the first
Indian to travel into space as a tourist. He will travel to
space as part of the crew for Amazon founder Jeff
Bezos' space company Blue Origin's New Shephard-
25 (NS-25) mission. The flight date will be announced
soon.
Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, a former Indian
Air Force pilot, was the first Indian to travel into space
in 1984.
Describing Thotakura, Blue Origins wrote, "Gopi is a
pilot and aviator who learned how to fly before he
could drive. Gopi pilots bush, aerobatic, and seaplanes, as well as gliders and hot air balloons, and has
served as an international medical jet pilot. A lifelong traveler, his most recent adventure took him to the
summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro."