Reward from Lord Ram for ‘kar seva’: Arun Yogiraj’s family on sculptor’s feat

As Ayodhya gets ready for the big day on January 22, when the much-awaited Ram Mandir will open its doors, some 2,000 km away, Chamaraja Double Road near Gun House in the cultural city of Mysuru has suddenly become a centre of attention.

Visitors are swarming in at the Brahmarshi Kaashyapa Shilpa Kala Kendra after it became known that the Ram Lalla idol painstakingly hand-carved by Arun Yogiraj has been selected to be placed in the high-profile temple. The Kala Kendra is the ancestral home of the renowned sculptor from Karnataka.

Confusion cleared

Three sculptors had been asked to create an idol each for the Ram temple. Even as BJP stalwart BS Yediyurappa and his son BY Vijayendra took to X (Twitter) to congratulate Arun on Monday (January 1), confusion remained as Arun received no official confirmation.

He said only the BJP leaders’ X posts convinced him that the news was true. Apart from the father-son duo, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi also took to X to sing paeans in Arun’s praise. Other BJP leaders, including MP PC Mohan and former minister B Sriramulu, also joined in.

However, Ram Mandir Trust member Kamaleshwar Chaupal has clarified that all the three idols of Ram Lalla will be accommodated in separate areas of the temple, and there was no “competition” of any kind. However, sources said which idol will be installed in the sanctum sanctorum will be known only on January 17, during its ‘Nagara Yatra’ (city round).

Apart from Arun, the two other sculptors who created idols were GL Bhat of Bengaluru and Satyanarayana Pande of Rajasthan. All three statues are ready, and a scrutiny committee that was formed to select one for the sanctum sanctorum is learned to have done so.

Proud family

Arun’s family is, understandably, very proud of him. Even as Arun’s young children, unable to fathom the enormity of their father’s achievement, smiled at everyone who gathered to congratulate the family, his wife Vijeta spoke to The Federal.

She said Arun had made not only the family proud but also the people of Mysuru and Karnataka. “Lord Ram rewarded Arun for his selfless and devotional work,” she said, choking on happy tears.

Noting that Arun had worked tirelessly for six months without even meeting his family members, Vijeta said, “Once he accepted the assignment, Arun was completely devoted to his work. The entire period of sculpting was like a ritual for Arun.”

Kar seva

While speaking to the media earlier, Arun had said as much. He said he used to perform poojas (religious rituals) and pray to Lord Ram in the morning before starting work on the idol. He stayed in Ayodhya throughout the carving period, disconnected from the entire world, including his family.

According to family sources, the Ram Lalla idol he sculpted is in the form of a child, both divine and child-like in appearance. It stands at a height of 8 feet, including the pedestal, and spans 3.5 feet in width, including the ornate prabhavali (aura) surrounding it. He holds a bow and arrow, symbolizing the divine persona even in childhood.

Arun meticulously carved the statue with his bare hands based on the design given to him and did not use any machines. “It is a kind of kar-seva (hand service to Ram),” said a family member.

India’s top sculptor

Arun is one of the most sought-after sculptors in the country today, credited with sculpting the 30-ft statue of Subhash Chandra Bose installed at the Amar Jawan Jyothi behind India Gate in New Delhi.

He is also known for works such as the 12-ft statue of Adi Shankaracharya in Kedarnath, Uttarakhand, and the 21-ft statue of Lord Hanuman near Mysuru.

He is a fifth-generation sculptor and an MBA from the University of Mysuru. He quit his corporate job in 2008 to follow his passion for carving statues. Since then, he has carved over 1,000 statues.