BENGALURU: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was presented a memento of Sri Kodanda Rama by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during the historic occasion in Ayodhya on Wednesday. But perhaps not many know that the man who sculpted it lives in Kengeri in Bengaluru —Ramamurthy Achar —a fifth generation craftsman.
His family members told The New Indian Express that he chose teak wood for it and worked on the statue for months at his workshop in Channapatna, which is about 60 km from here. They explained that he worked on three idols. One, a statue of Sri Kodanda Rama, about 1.5 ft in height. The second one, also of Sri Kodanda Rama, which is 3 foot-high and presented to the PM. The third was of the twins —Lava and Kusha -- on a single platform.
Ramamurthy said, “As I was sculpting, in my mind’s eye, I pictured Sri Rama as a man of about 35-40 years old. I have been very impressed by the Chola style of sculpture, the Kakatiya style, the Kerala wood carving and our own Belur and Halebid sculptures of the Hoysala style.
I picked up a few features from each style and finally blended them.” He said that I Singh, Director of Ayodhya Research Centre, under the Ministry of Culture, Government of Uttar Pradesh, called him and asked him to make the statue. A 7.5 ft statue of Sri Kodanda Rama which he had sculpted earlier and sourced from Cauvery Handicrafts , was on display in the museum at Ayodhya, he added. Ramamurthy who celebrated his 60th birthday just a few weeks ago, said, “I am very satisfied with the work done.”