The idol of ‘Ram Lalla’ carved by Karnataka’s renowned sculptor Arun Yogiraj will be installed in the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Monday.
He said the idol has been finalised for Prana Pratishtapana (consecration) of Lord Rama and it has been carved by sculptor Yogiraj Arun.
“The selection of the idol for the Prana Pratishtapana of Lord Rama in Ayodhya has been finalized. The idol of Lord Rama, carved by renowned sculptor of our country Yogiraj Arun, will be installed in Ayodhya,” posted Joshi on X, formerly Twitter in Kannada.
"ಎಲ್ಲಿ ರಾಮನೋ ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಹನುಮನು"
— Pralhad Joshi (@JoshiPralhad) January 1, 2024
ಅಯೋಧ್ಯೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಶ್ರೀರಾಮನ ಪ್ರಾಣ ಪ್ರತಿಷ್ಠಾಪನಾ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ ವಿಗ್ರಹ ಆಯ್ಕೆ ಅಂತಿಮಗೊಂಡಿದೆ. ನಮ್ಮ ನಾಡಿನ ಹೆಸರಾಂತ ಶಿಲ್ಪಿ ನಮ್ಮ ಹೆಮ್ಮೆಯ ಶ್ರೀ @yogiraj_arun ಅವರು ಕೆತ್ತಿರುವ ಶ್ರೀರಾಮನ ವಿಗ್ರಹ ಪುಣ್ಯಭೂಮಿ ಅಯೋಧ್ಯೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರತಿಷ್ಠಾಪನೆಗೊಳ್ಳಲಿದೆ. ರಾಮ ಹನುಮರ ಅವಿನಾಭಾವ ಸಂಬಂಧಕ್ಕೆ ಇದು… pic.twitter.com/VQdxAbQw3Q
Sharing his happiness on ‘X’, BJP stalwart and former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said, “The idol of Lord Rama sculpted by the sculptor Arun Yogiraj of Mysuru has been selected for installation in the magnificent Sri Rama Mandir of Ayodhya, which has doubled the pride and happiness of the entire Rama devotees of the state. Heartfelt congratulations to ‘Shilpi @yogiraj_arun’.”
ರಾಮಾಯಣದಲ್ಲಿ ನಮ್ಮ ಕಿಷ್ಕಿಂಧೆಯ ಆಂಜನೇಯ ಅಯೋಧ್ಯೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಶ್ರೀ ರಾಮಚಂದ್ರನ ಪಟ್ಟಾಭಿಷೇಕದಲ್ಲಿ ವಿಶೇಷ ಪಾತ್ರ ವಹಿಸಿದ್ದನ್ನು ನೆನಪಿಸುವಂತೆ ಈಗ ಮತ್ತೊಂದು ಸುಯೋಗ ಒದಗಿಬಂದಿದೆ. ಮೈಸೂರಿನ ಶಿಲ್ಪಿ ಶ್ರೀ ಅರುಣ್ ಯೋಗಿರಾಜ್ ಅವರು ಕೆತ್ತಿರುವ ಪ್ರಭು ಶ್ರೀರಾಮನ ವಿಗ್ರಹ ಅಯೋಧ್ಯೆಯ ಭವ್ಯ ಶ್ರೀರಾಮ ಮಂದಿರದಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಾಣಪ್ರತಿಷ್ಠಾಪನೆಗೆ…
— B.S.Yediyurappa (@BSYBJP) January 1, 2024
Yediyurappa’s son and BJP state president B Y Vijayendra too hailed Yogiraj for making the state and Mysuru proud. “It is the pride of Mysuru, the pride of Karnataka that the idol of Ram Lalla carved by the unparalleled sculpture Arun Yogiraj will be enshrined in Ayodhya on January 22,” Vijayendra said.
He added that Karnataka has a deep connection with Lord Rama as Kishkindha is located in this state. It is Kishkindha where Rama’s ardent devotee Hanuman was born.
However, Yogiraj said he had not received any official communication about the idol. “I am not sure whether my work has been selected but I came to know about it only through the media, where BJP leaders spoke,” he told reporters.
“I was one among three sculptors selected by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra to carve an idol of Ram Lalla. As per the committee, we were told that Ram Lalla should be a five-year-old child. I have used the Krishna Shila stone of HD Kote to create a 51-inch idol. There was no reference of Bala Rama (child Rama) and as per the committee directions, keeping the divinity aspect along with the child-like face in mind, I started my work about six to seven months ago. I used to work 12 hours a day in Ayodhya to finish it. Krishna Shila has been used in temples in Karnataka for more than 1,000 years. I used the same stone for the Adi Shankaracharya sculpture,” he said.
Yogiraj’s Adi Shankaracharya idol has been placed in Kedarnath and his statue of Subhas Chandra Bose has been installed near India Gate in New Delhi.
While his family is into sculpture, Yogiraj started assisting his father from the age of 11 years. The MBA graduate said he had worked for a few years in a private firm but he later chose to continue sculpture.
“My mother was against my decision but my father supported me. In 2014, my mother was convinced when I received south India’s young talent award,” he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Ayodhya Ram temple on January 22.
