'Even After We're Gone, People Will Remember': How Ram Lalla Idol Maker Has Carved His Place in History

AVijeta is unable to control her happiness when she speaks of her husband Arun Yogiraj’s sculpture of Ram Lalla being finalised as the one to be installed at the Ayodhya temple.

“He has made us so proud, and the elders are also showering us with their blessings as he has etched the name of the family in the history of our country. Even after we are gone, people will remember him and our family for our humble contribution to the Ram temple,” she told News18. “We are very excited, honoured, and also humbled. It is a time for celebration; we are living up to the moment.”

The selection

The Ayodhya temple trust asked for three different idols, depicting a five-year-old Lord Ram, to be prepared by separate sculptors. Eminent sculptor from Bengaluru Ganesh Bhatt along with his student Vipin Bhadouriya, Arun Yogiraj from Mysuru, and Satya Narayan Pandey from Jaipur were picked to make a 51-inch-tall idol of Ram Lalla (infant Ram) each. Finally, the idol created by Yogiraj was selected for the pran pratishtha (consecration) at the temple by a panel of experts.

“The murti (idol) is of a five-year-old boy standing on a lotus. He holds a bow and arrow, and it is a smiling face with a divine look. The eyes and the face inspire a sense of calm and reverence when you look at it,” the sculptor’s wife explained in detail to News18.

Union minister Pralhad Joshi on January 1 revealed that the idol carved by Yogiraj will adore the garbha griha (sanctum sanctorum) of the temple. In a post on social media site X, Joshi said, “The selection of the idol for the Prana Pratishtapana of Lord Rama in Ayodhya has been finalised. The idol of Lord Ram, carved by renowned sculptor of our country Yogiraj Arun, will be installed in Ayodhya.” The minister also shared a photograph of Yogiraj posing alongside the idol of Lord Ram.

“Arun’s idol depicts a balswaroop (infant) Ram, as a five-year-old, standing on a lotus, carrying a bow in one hand and an arrow in the other. Besides, the statue also has fine carvings and designs. All signs related to Lord Ram are carved on the statue which is 51 inches tall. It’s the finest work that can ever be done,” an Ayodhya temple trust official said.

Preparation and dedication

Vijeta spoke of how for six months Yogiraj had dedicated himself to sculpting the idol, one that he wanted to be etched in the eyes and hearts of every person who sees Lord Ram at the temple.

Describing the way the idol came to form, she spoke of the hours that Yogiraj spent watching young four to five-year-old children playing around his house, how he would observe their facial expressions, their smiles, and how they played.

“He would carefully observe their mannerisms so that he could bring that childish yet divine imprint on the idol. He also followed Shilpa Shastra, the measurements, the ornaments, how it had to be designed, and the concept of designing it,” she said.

Vijeta said that a tentative drawing was provided by the trust as to how they wanted the idol to look. Yogiraj then researched more than 2,000 photographs and pictures to finalise the look. The sculptor spent several hours just to finish the face as his whole concentration was on getting the expression, the appearance, and the eyes of Lord Ram right.

“He was so dedicated to getting it right; in stone, you cannot have any errors; it is a monolith, and there is no space for an error as it cannot be reversed. With each chisel, he would put his 100 per cent concentration,” Vijeta explained.

On a question about what special rituals Yogiraj had to follow while he was working on the idol, the family said that in Ayodhya, prayers were conducted twice a day, a strict Sattvic diet provided by the trust is consumed, and the temple trust members perform poojas to the idols two to three times a day.

“The ritual is followed every single day. They work almost 24 hours as this is a work of God, and they want to ensure it is unmatchable and unparalleled with any other,” Yogiraj’s wife said.

Speaking about his inspiration, Vijeta was all praise for her husband’s skill. She spoke of how he would find inspiration and joy when a piece of stone becomes a murti.

“It turns into something very fascinating and inspires him with something new each time,” she added.

Idol carved out of Krishna Shila

Arun Yogiraj has used a Krishna Shila (black stone) from Karnataka to carve the idol. Experts say the most attractive and durable sculptures are made with Krishna Shila, which is found in the areas around Karkala, a small town in Karnataka, around 60 km from Mangaluru. “The stone, weighing 10 tonnes, 6 feet wide, 4 feet thick, and almost one foot long, was specially brought from Nellikaru village in Karkala, almost a month ago,” a trust official said.

The trust is not using the two massive stones, weighing 14 and 26 tonnes, which arrived from Nepal on January 2, 2023, for carving an idol. “The two Devshilas were gifted to us by Nepal. These stones were calcite and quartzite and were procured from the Gandaki river in the Muktinath area of the Himalayan region. However, after consulting many seers, priests, and experts, the trust decided not to use the Devshila from Nepal. It was a difficult decision to take,” said Champat Rai, general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra. The trust is yet to decide what would be done with the Devshila.

Aruj Yogiraj comes from a family of five generations of renowned sculptors from Mysuru. His father, Yogiraj, was also a skilled sculptor, and his grandfather Basavanna Shilpi was patronised by the King of Mysore. His work has been lauded by many, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently.

Awards and recognitions

1) Visit to workshop and personal appreciation by Kofi Annan, Former Secretary-General of the United Nations.

2) Nalwadi award 2020 by Mysore District Administration.

3) Honorary membership by The Crafts Council of Karnataka 2021.

4) South Zone Young Talented Artist award by Government of India in 2014.

5) Shilpa Kousthubha by Sculptors Association.

6) Rajyothsava award by Mysuru District Authority.

7) Honoured by Chief Minister of Karnataka.

8) Honoured by Sports Academy of Mysuru district.

9) Honoured by Amara Shilpi Jakanachari Trust.

10) Participated in State and National level Sculpture Camps.

Prominent works

1) 28-foot monolithic black granite stone sculpture of Subhas Chandra Bose for India Gate, Delhi, Government of India.

2) 21-foot monolithic stone sculpture Hanuman Hoysala style for Chunchanakatte, KR Nagar.

3) 12-foot Adi Shankaracharya idol for Kedarnath, Uttarakhand.

4) 15-foot monolithic white marble stone sculpture of Dr BR Ambedkar with pedestal, Mysuru.

5) India’s largest 10-foot monolithic white marble stone sculpture of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Mysuru.

6) 15-foot monolithic white marble stone sculpture of Maharaja Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar with pedestal, Mysuru.

7) 11-foot monolithic modern art stone sculpture sculpted in the concept “Creation of Creation” at University of Mysore.

8) Bronze statue of UR Rao installed at ISRO, Bengaluru.

9) 5-foot idol of God Garuda at Mysuru.

10) 7-foot-tall idol of God Yoganarasimha Swamy at KR Nagar.

11) Statues of Sir M Vishveshwaraiah.

12) Statues of Dr BR Ambedkar.

13) Sculptures of Lord Panchamukhi Ganapathi, Lord Mahavishnu, God Buddha, Nandi, Swami Shivbala Yogi, Swami Shivakumara, and Goddess Banashankari installed at various temples.

14) Hand-carved mantaps, various stone pillar works, etc.

True calling

After getting an MBA degree, Arun Yogiraj initially worked for some time in a private company but soon realised that he was not “corporate material”. Listening to his inner voice and going by his family’s legacy, in 2008 he opted for the sculpting profession which was innate in him throughout.

Recently, a 30-foot statue of Subhas Chandra Bose, crafted by Arun Yogiraj, remained the centre of attraction in the grand canopy behind the Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate. He prepared the sculpture on the directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who wished to install a statue of Netaji at India Gate on his 125th birth anniversary to honour his contribution to the freedom struggle. In addition, the sculptor gifted a two-foot-tall statue of Bose to the Prime Minister and won his appreciation.