“The luckiest person on earth,” according to idol sculptor Arun Yogiraj, is how people are describing themselves as the highly awaited “pran pratishtha” of the Ram Lalla statue is unfolding in Ayodhya. This well-known sculptor who is currently in the limelight was raised by a line of sculptors and has produced a number of significant sculptures for culture.
Going back to his origins, Arun originates from the Karnataka town of Agrahara, Mysuru. The 41-year-old comes from a five-generation family of sculptors. The King of Mysore had a close relationship with his renowned grandfather, Basavanna Shilpi.
Arun did not originally take up sculpture as a full-time career, despite the family tradition. Following his graduation with a master’s in business administration, he was employed by a private corporation. A short while later, in 2008, he left his employment to devote himself full-time to his passion of sculpture. Arun has two siblings and is wed to Vijetha.
Famously, Arun sculpted the thirty-foot statue of Subhash Chandra Bose, which is located in the canopy behind the India Gate’s Amar Jawan Jyoti. Prime Minister Narendra Modi oversaw the statue of Bose’s erection in recognition of his contributions. Arun had already gotten praise from PM Modi and recognition from the BJP administration. Approximately the time of Bose sculpture installation, Arun had gifted the PM, a miniature two-feet tall statue of Bose.
The twelve-foot-tall statue of Adi Shankaracharya at Kedarnath, which was dedicated in 2021, was also carved by the same hands. The 35-ton statue was constructed at the seer’s samadhi stal, which was rebuilt following the devastating floods in 2013.
One of Arun’s other creations is a 21-foot-tall monolithic stone statue of Hanuman located at KR Nagar, Mysore.
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s 15-foot monolithic white marble stone sculpture, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa’s 10-foot monolithic white marble stone sculpture, Maharaja Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar’s 15-foot monolithic white marble stone sculpture with pedestal in Mysuru, and the University of Mysore’s 11-foot monolithic modern art stone sculpture with the concept “Creation of Creation”.
Also, he sculpted the seven-foot-tall statue of Yoganarasimha Swamy at KR Nagar, the five-foot-tall idol of Garuda in Mysore, and the bronze statue of Sri U.R. Rao at ISRO, Bangalore. Additionally, Arun has sculpted many sculptures of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and Sir M. Venkateswaraiah.
Many temples also have his sculptures on display, including those of Panchamukhi Ganapathi, MahaVishnu, Buddha, Nandi, Swami Shivbala Yogi, Swami Shivakumara, and Banashankari.
“I feel I am the luckiest person on Earth and also count on the blessings of my ancestors, family members, and ram lalla… sometimes I feel like I am in a dream world,” the sculptor remarked upon arriving at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
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Source: The Hindu BL
