On January 22, when Hindus from across the world will offer prayers for the consecration of Ram Lalla at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, a mortal’s name will go down in the history of sculptors. Arun Yogiraj till now needed to introduce himself in his social media platforms as a sculptor. But ever since his Ram Lalla statue, carved out of black stone, was chosen by Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on January 15 through voting, Yogiraj needs no introduction. The 51-inch long statue of Ram Lalla has been carved out of Krishna Shila from Bujjegoudanapura village in HD Kote in Mysuru district.
The pran prathishtha (consecration) of the idol inside the sanctum sanctorum will be done on January 22 in a ceremony presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and watched from across the world. The event will mark a significant step towards fulfilment of an important part of the BJP’s manifesto and will most likely be a major issue for the ruling saffron party in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
For Yogiraj, a 38-year-old MBA graduate, the consecration of Ram Lalla would mark the culmination of a five generations old inheritance; of sculpting idols, political and regal icons from Mysuru, which has been the cultural nerve centre of Karnataka for generations, initially patronised by the King of Mysore. The 28-feet statue of Subhash Chandra Bose in monolithic black granite, which was installed by Modi under the canopy behind the India Gate in September 2022, was crafted by Yogiraj. Netaji’s statue had given him the much-needed appreciation from Modi, which made the Ram Temple Trust to approach Yogiraj and entrust the work to carve Ram Lalla idol along with two others — Ganesh Bhatt from Bengaluru and Satya Narayan from Rajasthan — who were shortlisted for the purpose. The name Krishna Shila has been ascribed to Nellikaru rocks, out of which most idols in South India have been carved because their colour is identical to that of Lord Krishna. For Yogiraj, Krishna Shila would best bring out the expression of Ram Lalla — a smiling, benevolent, courageous five-year-old holding the golden bow and arrow.
Yogiraj’s famed sculptures include a 12-feet tall statue of Adi Shankaracharya in Kedarnath, 21-feet Hanuman statue at Chunchanakatte in Mysuru district, 15-feet Dr BR Ambedkar, white amritashila statue of Swami Ramakrishna Paramahamsa in Mysuru, 14.5-feet white amritashila statue of the then king of Mysore Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar.
Yogiraj hails from a family with five generations of famous sculptors in Mysuru. His father Yogiraj is a skilled sculptor and his grandfather Basavanna Shilpi, was patronised by the King of Mysore. Though Yogiraj did his masters in business administration, his aptitude did not lie in boardroom decisions. With a strong penchant for carving and sculpting since early adolescence, he took to full time sculpting after quitting his brief corporate life. Since 2008, he has continued his carving career and there was no looking back.
Sculpting Ram Lalla was not an easy task. According to his mother, her son went through a six-month-long vanavasa (exile), away from home, to carve the idol, which would now be venerated for time immemorial.
His wife Vijeta recalled the time when he suffered an eye injury during the process. A tiny piece of the stone had injured his cornea and he had to undergo an eye operation. “Today, all his efforts have been paid off, with the idol he carved being installed at the temple,” she said.
The selection and consecration of Ram Lalla idol has catapulted the fame of the Mysurean, but he remains rooted on ground. “If people like the idol and are happy, it would be my biggest reward,” said Yogiraj. In Ram Lalla, the legacy of Mysuru endures.
