The idols of Sri Anjaneya and Lakshmana Sametha Sitaramachandra, which carved in Karnataka’s Mysuru have reportedly been finalized for installation at the sanctum sanctorum of Ayodhya Ram Temple. Renowned Kannadiga sculpture Arun Yogiraj has been instrumental in crafting the idols of Ram lalla, which are currently being installed (pran pratishtapana) in Ayodhya on January 22.
The consecration process of the idol of Lord Ram will begin on the 15th of this month. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is organising the event. Invitations have already been sent. Every house in Ayodhya has received invitation cards for the inauguration of the Ram temple.
The three-day festival is being organised by the Uttar Pradesh government. The temple inauguration ceremony will be attended by over 4,000 dignitaries, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Who is Arun Yogiraj?
The carving of the Ram lalla and Seetha, Lakshmana and Hanuman statues has been completed. Idols were created by renowned sculptor‘s family of Mysuru. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has decided to install the idols created by the Arun Yogiraj in the Ram Mandir.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and former Karnataka Chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa posted photos of the statue on their official Facebook account. "It is a matter of pride for the entire country that the idols made by Kannadigas are being brought to life in Ayodhya," they said.
A unique Krishna (Black) stone from Bujjegoudanapura village in HD Kote taluk of the Mysuru district was chosen for creation of the idols.
The idols of Ganesh Bhat from Karnataka and Satyanarayan Pandey from Rajasthan have been shortlisted by the trust. Finally, it was decided that the idols made by Arun Yogiraj will be installed in Ayodhya. The sculptures are carved based on paintings by Vasudev Kamath, a resident of Mumbai.
Finally, Arun Yogiraj, a distinguished sculpture hailing from a lineage of five generations of renowned sculptures in Mysuru, has been honored with the selection of his idols for installation in Ayodhya Ram temple.
Preserving the Legacy of Sculpture:
Arun Yogiraj began his journey into the world of sculpting at a young are, deeply influenced by his father, Yogiraj, and grandfather, Basavanna Shilpi, who enjoyed patronage of the King of Mysuru.
Arun pursued MBA and worked in the corporate sector for time. His innate passion for sculpting drew him back into the art form in 2008.
Other Creations of Arun Yogiraj:
30-feet statue of Subhash Chandra Bose, prominently displayed behind the Amar Jawan Jyothi near India gate, New Delhi.
12-feet sculpture of Adi Shankaracharya in Kedarnath.
21-feet tall Hanuman statue in Mysuru