Ayodhya: Meet Mysuru-Based Sculptor Arun Yogiraj Who Carved Ram Lalla Statue

The countdown for the Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya has started as a new idol of Ram Lalla will be placed in the sanctum sanctorum of the newly constructed temple.

Mysuru-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj is one of the three sculptors who have worked on the statues of Ram Lalla. Apart from him, Ganesh Bhatt from Bengaluru and Satya Narayan Pandey from Rajasthan are the other two people.

He has already completed the work and he has handed over the sculptor to Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust which will select the one among the three.

Talking to Star of Mysore, Arun Yogiraj said, "Two idols have been completed including the one I carved and one idol-making is in final stages. The Trust will select the final idol, but I have received positive feedback for my work and hope for the best,"

Arun meticulously worked on the idol for six months. Towering at a height of eight feet, which includes the pedestal, the idol stretches three-and-a-half feet in width, encompassing the elaborate 'Prabhavali' that surrounds it. The detailed craftsmanship of the statue portrays Lord Ram in his childhood, holding a bow and arrow, symbolizing his divine persona.

"I have meticulously carved the statue with my hands based on the design given to me and have not used any machine," he said.

The consecration ceremony is scheduled for January 22. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath along with hundreds of dignitaries are expected to attend the ceremony.

Anil Mishra, a trustee, said Ram Lala's throne will be placed on a lotus flower pedestal made of marble, which has also been installed in the sanctum sanctorum. He added, "The height of the throne will be decided in a way so that at 12 noon on Ramnavami, the sun's rays touch the forehead of Ram Lala and illuminate the sanctum sanctorum,"

Arun Yogiraj had earlier carved the 12-foot statue of Adi Shankaracharya at Kedarnath. Since childhood, he dreamt of visiting India Gate and happy because he got the opportunity to carve a statue that will be installed here. "When I was a kid, I wanted to visit India Gate and now I got the opportunity to build Netaji's statue which will be installed there. It is a dream come true for an artist like me," he is quoted as saying by India Today in an interview.

He is the son of noted sculptor Yogiraj Shilpi and hails from a family of Mysuru palace artists, according to a report in Indian Express.

Although he worked with a private company after completing an MBA degree, he returned to full-time sculpting in 2008.

Apart from Adi Shankaracharya statute in Kedarnath, he had carved a 14.5-foot white marble sculpture of Maharaja Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar in his home town of Mysuru and white marble sculpture of Swami Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.