BENGALURU: On Friday, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveils a statue of Guru Adi Shankaracharya at Kedarnath, it will be a matter of pride for Mysuru. The Krishna shile (chlorite schist) is from a remote part of HD Kote taluk in the district, and Arun Yogiraj, the man who chiselled the statue, is from the famed Mysuru family of sculptors.
The statue, measuring 12ft and weighing 28 tonnes, is carved out of a single rock. It has travelled all the way to Kedarnath in Uttarakhand, covering more than 2,000km. Adi Shankaracharya is said to have taken samadhi at Kedarnath.
Arun Yogiraj (37), a fifth generation sculptor, is an MBA graduate who used to work with a private firm, but quit his job in 2008, and took up the chisel. His family has done many statues for the Mysuru Wadiyar family, and Mysuru City has many of their works.
It was Jindal Steel Works which took up the project, and approached Arun and his father. “I was given a 3D model photograph, but I was not happy. I did my own model, a 2-ft prototype which was sent to PM Modi, as did many other sculptors. My model was selected,’’ he said. His model has a Srichakra (circular sacred geometry used for worship, devotion and meditation) on which Guru Shankaracharya is sitting. Work began in August 2020.
“We got Krishna Shile from HD Kote. This rock can withstand rain, sun, fire, air and other harsh climate. I didn’t take a single day off,’’ he said. “I was told to make a 360 degree view, which was most challenging. He is a sanyasi, with no hair on his head and wearing a kaavi. I had to make his face look divine, and even sent all my helpers out for a few days as I wanted to focus on it,” he said. “The Mandakini river touches the statue before flowing further.” It may be recalled that Shankaracharya’s samadhi was washed away in the 2013 floods.
Tragedy struck just two weeks ago, when Arun’s father Basavanna Shilpi passed away. “My father used to tell me, the rock has to listen to you, like clay, only then you can make a perfect statue.” Sadly, Arun will not be attending the event at Kedarnath. “It is what many sculptors dream about, and PM Modi himself is unveiling it.”