Balak Ram (idol)
Balak Ram (Sanskrit: बालकराम, lit. 'child Rama', IAST: Bālakarāma) is the primary murti (idol) of the Ram Mandir, a Hindu temple built in Nagara style at the presumed location of Ram Janmabhoomi, the mythical birthplace of the Hindu deity Rama, at Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, India, to commemorate the birth of Rama. The location is loaded, and the building of the mandir is controversial due to the demolition of a mosque formerly located at the place, and is an important subject of political debate in India.
| Bālak Ram | |
|---|---|
The central image of the deity at the Ram Mandir located at Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya | |
| Other names | Ram Lalla Virajman |
| Devanagari | बालकराम |
| Sanskrit transliteration | Bālakarāma |
| Affiliation | Form of Vishnu/Rama |
| Abode | Ayodhya |
| Weapon | Bow and arrow |
Rama is one of the principal deities of Hinduism and is traditionally considered by Hindus as the seventh avatar, or incarnation, of Vishnu. The form of the murti is that of the Hindu deity Rama as a child, the presiding deity of the temple. Before the temple's inauguration, the deity was referred to by the previous name of Rām Lallā Virājamān.
On April 17, 2024, the first Ram Navami (Ram's birth festival) after the consecration of Ayodhya's Ram Temple with Balak Ram murti was celebrated by thousands of devotees across India. On this occasion, the forehead of the Ram Lalla idol was anointed with a ray of sunlight, known as Surya Tilak. As the sun rays illuminated the forehead of the Lord Ram Lalla idol, scores of devotees prayed across the globe.