“People Will Remember Us Even When We’re Gone”: How the Creator of Ram Lalla Idols Has Personalized His Place in History
When Avijeta mentions that her husband Arun Yogiraj’s sculpture of Ram Lalla has been chosen to be placed in the Ayodhya temple, she can’t contain her joy.
“He has etched the family name in the annals of our nation, and the elders are bestowing upon us their blessings. He has made us feel incredibly proud.” People will remember him and our family for our little donation to the Ram temple long after we are gone, she said News18. We feel really humbled, honored, and thrilled. We are embracing the occasion; it is a time to celebrate.
The choice
Three unique statues, each representing a five-year-old Lord Ram, were requested to be constructed by different sculptors by the Ayodhya temple trust. Prominent Bengaluru sculptor Ganesh Bhatt was chosen to create a 51-inch-tall idol of Ram Lalla (baby Ram) with his pupil Vipin Bhadouriya, Mysuru native Arun Yogiraj, and Jaipur native Satya Narayan Pandey. Ultimately, a group of specialists chose Yogiraj’s idol for the temple’s pran pratishtha (consecration).
The five-year-old youngster in the murti (idol) is seen standing on a lotus. He has a smiling, divine-looking face and is holding a bow and arrow. When you look at it, the face and eyes evoke awe and serenity, the sculptor’s wife told News18 in great detail.
On January 1, Union minister Pralhad Joshi said that Yogiraj’s statue will revere the temple’s garbha griha, or sanctum sanctorum. Joshi announced, “The idol for the Prana Pratishtapana of Lord Rama in Ayodhya has been finalized,” in a post on the social networking platform X. The idol of Lord Ram, created by Yogiraj Arun, a well-known sculptor in our nation, will be placed at Ayodhya. The minister also posted a picture of Yogiraj standing with a Lord Ram idol.
“The image on Arun’s idol shows a five-year-old Balswaroop (baby) Ram standing on a lotus and holding an arrow in one hand and a bow in the other. In addition, the statue has exquisite patterns and craftsmanship. The statue, which stands 51 inches tall, is engraved with all of the markings associated with Lord Ram. “It’s the best work that has ever been done,” a representative of the Ayodhya Temple Trust said.
SETTLEMENT AND COMMITMENT
Vijeta described how Yogiraj had devoted six months to creating the idol, which he intended to be engraved in the minds and souls of those who saw Lord Ram at the shrine.
She said how Yogiraj spent hours observing little children, ages four to five, playing about his home. He would monitor their grins, their facial expressions, and their playstyles. This is how the idol came to be.
He would pay close attention to their behaviors in order to imprint that innocent but holy image on the idol. He also adhered to Shilpa Shastra, which specifies the dimensions, embellishments, architectural principles, and methods of construction, according to her.
According to Vijeta, the trust gave them a rough sketch of what they wanted the idol to look like. After that, Yogiraj looked through more than 2,000 images to complete the design. The sculptor dedicated many hours to perfecting the face, focusing on capturing the exact attitude, look, and eyes of Lord Ram.
Since stone is a monolith and cannot be undone, there is no room for mistakes, which is why he was so committed to making it perfect. He would give every chisel his whole attention, according to Vijeta.
In response to a query regarding the unique customs Yogiraj had to adhere to while he worked on the idol, the family stated that in Ayodhya, there were twice-daily prayers, a strict Sattvic diet that was supplied by the trust, and two three-daily poojas performed by temple trust members for the idols.
“The custom is observed each and every day. Since this is a work of God, they labor for almost twenty-four hours a day to make sure it is unlike anything else, according to Yogiraj’s wife.
Regarding his inspiration, Vijeta extolled the virtues of her husband’s ability. She told him that when a stone turns into a murti, he will be inspired and happy.
Every time, she said, “it becomes something really fascinating and inspires him with something new.”
IDOL EXTRADING FROM KRISHNA SHILA
The idol was carved by Arun Yogiraj using a Krishna Shila (black stone) from Karnataka. Experts claim that Krishna Shila, which is located in the vicinity of Karkala, a tiny village in Karnataka around 60 kilometers from Mangaluru, is used to create the most beautiful and long-lasting sculptures. “The stone was specially brought from Nellikaru village in Karkala, almost a month ago. It weighs 10 tonnes and is 6 feet wide, 4 feet thick, and nearly one foot long,” a trust official said.
The two enormous stones, which came from Nepal on January 2, 2023 and weigh 14 and 26 tonnes each, are not going to be carved into idols by the trust. We received the two Devshilas as a gift from Nepal. These stones, which were quartzite and calcite, were taken from the Gandaki River in the Himalayan region near Muktinath. However, the trust chose not to employ the Devshila from Nepal after conferring with several priests, scholars, and seers. The choice was not easy to make, according to Champat Rai, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra’s general secretary. What will happen to the Devshila is still up to the trust to determine.
Aruj Yogiraj is descended from a line of distinguished Mysuru sculptors spanning five generations. The King of Mysore was a supporter of his grandfather Basavanna Shilpi, and his father Yogiraj was also a talented sculptor. Many people have praised his efforts, most notably Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
PRIZES AND ACCEPTANCES
United Nations former secretary-general Kofi Annan paid a personal visit to the workshop.
2) The Mysore District Administration’s 2020 Nalwadi Award.
3) The Karnataka 2021 Crafts Council has granted honorary membership.
The Indian government awarded the South Zone Young Talented Artist award in 2014.
5) Sculptors Association’s Shilpa Kousthubha.
6) The Mysuru District Authority’s Rajyothsava award.
7) Honored by the Karnataka Chief Minister.
8) Recognized by the Mysuru district Sports Academy.
Recipient of the Amara Shilpi Jakanachari Trust’s honor.
10) Took part in sculpture camps at the state and national levels.
Notable Pieces: 1) A 28-foot monolithic black granite stone sculpture of Subhas Chandra Bose created for the Government of India’s India Gate in Delhi.
2) For Chunchanakatte, KR Nagar, a 21-foot monolithic stone sculpture in the Hanuman Hoysala style.
3) Kedarnath, Uttarakhand: A 12-foot Adi Shankaracharya idol.
4) Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s 15-foot monolithic white marble stone sculpture at Mysuru, complete with pedestal.
The biggest monolithic white marble sculpture of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa in India, standing at 10 feet, is located in Mysuru.
6) Maharaja Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar, a 15-foot monolithic white marble stone sculpture on a pedestal, located in Mysuru.
7) An 11-foot-tall monolithic contemporary art stone sculpture at University of Mysore, inspired by the idea of “Creation of Creation.”
8) An UR Rao bronze statue is situated at ISRO in Bengaluru.
9) The 5-foot Garuda idol located in Mysuru.
10) At KR Nagar, a seven-foot-tall idol of the god Yoganarasimha Swamy.
11) Sir M. Vishveshwaraiah statues.
12) Dr. B.R. Ambedkar statues.
13) Several temples have sculptures of Goddess Banashankari, Lord Panchamukhi Ganapathi, Lord Mahavishnu, God Buddha, Nandi, and Swami Shivbala Yogi placed.
14) Mantaps crafted by hand, different stone pillar constructions, etc.
A TRUE PHONE CALLS
Arun Yogiraj worked for a while at a private firm after receiving his MBA, but he quickly came to the conclusion that he was not “corporate material.” Following the footsteps of his family and listening to his inner guidance, he chose to pursue his lifelong passion of sculpting in 2008.
Arun Yogiraj’s 30-foot statue of Subhas Chandra Bose, which is located under the great canopy behind the Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate, has been the center of attention lately. On the orders of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who wanted to honor Netaji’s role to the liberation movement by erecting a monument of him at India Gate on the 125th anniversary of his birth, he produced the sculpture. Furthermore, the sculptor gained the Prime Minister’s respect by presenting him with a two-foot-tall monument of Bose.
