Sculptor Arun Yogiraj whose idol of Ram Lalla adorns the sanctum sanctorum of the temple at Ayodhya, said here on Thursday that he is overwhelmed by the love and affection of the people and only wished his father was alive to witness it.
The city-based sculptor who shot to national limelight consequent to the selection of his idol of Ram Lalla, returned to Mysuru late on Thursday and was mobbed by his friends and relatives who greeted him for his accomplishments.
Speaking to media persons Mr.Yogiraj said that he believed the selection of the idol and the way it turned out after 7 months of sculpting, was due to the blessings of his forefathers and the entire community of sculptors (Vishwakarma community). “Our family is in this field for at least 250 years and the selection of the Ram Lalla statue was due to the blessings of our forefathers,” he said.
On the sculpting of Ram Lalla statue itself Mr.Yogiraj said there are certain traditions and processes that are followed during execution and he not only studied them but followed it as it was required for a project of the scale as at Ayodhya.
The MBA graduate-turned sculptor who learned the skills from his father and inherited the family tradition after chucking a corporate job, said he missed his father B.S.Yogiraj Shilpi who died in an accident a few years ago.
His father was also a renowned sculptor and was a recipient of Amarashilpi Jakanachari award and the Karnataka Rajyothsava award.
“I will continue to work hard and make his dream comes true. He is my guru”, said Mr. Arun Yogiraj. On the future mission, the sculptor said he was prepared to take any public projects that may be offered to him.
Later, he called on Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the scion of the erstwhile royal family of Mysore, and his family at the palace.
Incidentally, Arun Yogiraj had sculpted the statue of Adi Shankaracharya which is installed at Kedarnath and the statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at New Dellhi.
