“It’s a celebration time for the entire family members,” stated Vijetha, wife of Mysuru sculptor Arun Yogiraj whose Ram Lalla idol has been selected for the installation at the sanctum sanctorum of the Ayodhya temple which is gearing up for the inauguration.
The family members in Mysuru and relatives at Kebbehundi in T. Narasipura taluk are ecstatic over the announcement made by the temple trust that the idol sculpted by Mr. Yogiraj, who is presently camping in Ayodhya, has been finalised for the installation.
Mr. Yogiraj was one of the three sculptors who had been assigned the task of chiselling the idol for the Ayodhya temple which will be inaugurated on January 22.
Much before the announcement by the temple trust, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi through a social media post some time ago stated that the Ram idol by the Mysuru sculptor, who carved Adi Shankaracharya’s statue installed at Kedarnath and the statue of Subhas Chandra Bose installed at India Gate in New Delhi, has been selected for the installation at the Ayodhya temple.
Since then, the family residing at Agrahara in Mysuru has been getting a steady stream of visitors almost every day to congratulate the sculptor’s mother, wife, and other family members on Mr. Yogiraj’s achievement as a sculptor. Mr. Arun Yogiraj belongs to a family of sculptors who have been carving idols for generations. An MBA holder from the University of Mysore, Mr. Yogiraj quit his job in a private company to continue the family tradition of sculpting.
Expressing happiness over the news, Mr. Arun’s mother Saraswathi said, “It is the happiest moment for the family. My son worked hard for this achievement. It is a proud moment not just for the people of Mysuru but for the people of Karnataka.”
She said her son had told her that all three sculptors had worked really hard and it’s up to the temple trust to finalise whose idol will be chosen for the installation. “I was hoping that the idol sculpted by my son would get selected since I had seen his hard work and dedication. It happened as we desired.”
Says Ms. Vijetha, “I had confidence that the idol for the Ayodhya temple sculpted by my husband would be selected because of his skill in shaping the idols. He brings life to the idols he sculpts. I consider this moment most memorable for the family and a time to celebrate.”
Ms. Vijetha and other family members spoke to Mr. Yogiraj over the phone upon receiving the news. “He was busy but could talk to us. He too is very happy. The stone that he used for sculpting the idol also belonged to Mysuru district. This is another happiest moment.”
Since June last year, Mr. Yogiraj has been camping at Ayodhya with his team sculpting the idol. “My husband had come to Mysuru on a couple of occasions since June last year. He was fully engaged in his work with dedication,” explains Ms. Vijetha, who holds MBA and MS degrees, and quit her bank job in the United Kingdom after she married Mr. Arun.
