Mysuru sculptor Arun Yogiraj's Ram Lalla statue selected for Ayodhya Ram Temple

Mysuru: A moment of eternity at last knocked at the doors of Mysuru sculptor Arun Yogiraj Shilpi after he got the final nod for the installation Ram Lalla statue sculpted by him in the Sanctum Sanctorum of Ayodhya's Ram Mandir.

This was announced by former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa by taking to X.

He said, "The idol of Lord Rama sculpted by the sculptor Arun Yogiraj of Mysuru has been selected for installation in the magnificent Sri Rama Mandir of Ayodhya, which has doubled the pride and happiness of the entire Rama devotees of the state. Heartfelt congratulations to 'Shilpi @yogiraj_arun'."

The Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, which is responsible for the management of the Ram Mandir, finalised the Ram Lalla idol.

Yogiraj competed with two other sculptors, GL Bhat from Bengaluru and Satyanarayan Pandey from Rajasthan, who also sculpted Ram Lalla.

This is Yogiraj's third statue after his statues of Adi Shankaracharya at Kedarnath and Subash Chandra Bose at Kartavya Path in Delhi were finalised.

The other two idols will be installed in other parts of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. The statue-making began in June and ended in December.

Yediyurappa's son and BJP state president Vijayendra Yediyurappa also praised Yogiraj for making the state and Mysuru proud.

He said, "It is the pride of Mysuru, the pride of Karnataka that the idol of Ram Lalla carved by the unparalleled sculpture Arun Yogiraj will be enshrined in Ayodhya on January 22."

Vijayendra also said that there is a deep connection with Lord Ram as Kishkindha is situated in this state. Lord Ram's devotee Hanuman was born in Kishkinda.

Currently, Yogiraj is working on the statue of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, commissioned by the Justice Department, to be installed in Jaisalmer House, Delhi, a testament to his versatility in portraying diverse historical and cultural figures.

Yogiraj, who has an MBA degree with him, is a fifth-generation sculptor. He had quit a corporate job to continue the tradition of sculpting statues in 2008.

Inheriting the art of sculpting from his late father BS Yogiraj Shilpi, Arun has sculpted more than 1000 statues.

The statue showcases Ram Lalla in the form of a five-year-old child, holding a bow and arrow—a poignant symbol of Bhagwan Sri Ram. The statue spans an impressive 51 inches from foot to forehead, illustrating the meticulous attention to detail that Arun has employed in his work.

The Vedic rituals for Pran Prathista (consecration ceremony) will begin on January 16, a week before the opening of the temple.

The main rituals will be performed by Ganeshwar Shastri and Lakshmi Kant Dixit, the Trust said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the grand opening of the Mandir in Ayodhya on January 22 along with several dignitaries invited by the temple trust. (UNI)