Union minister Pralhad Joshi announced on Monday that the Yogiraj-carved idol will adorn the huge Ram temple just days after the idol was finalized for the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ (consecration) event on January 22.
The temple trust in Ayodhya has chosen the Ram Lalla idol made by renowned artist Arun Yogiraj. Union minister Pralhad Joshi announced on Monday that the Yogiraj-carved idol will adorn the huge Ram temple just days after the idol was finalized for the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ (consecration) event on January 22.
Joshi announced on social media on X that the idol for Lord Rama’s Prana Pratishtapana in Ayodhya had been chosen. The idol of Lord Rama, created by Yogiraj Arun, a well-known sculptor in our nation, will be placed at Ayodhya.
The Ram Temple’s big consecration event is scheduled for January 22.
In addition to congratulating Arun, former Karnataka chief minister B S Yediyurappa expressed delight in the choice of Lord Ram’s idol to be installed in Ram Mandir.
“The entire state’s pride and satisfaction have quadrupled with the installation of the majestic Sri Rama Mandir in Ayodhya, which houses the idol of Lord Rama carved by Mysuru’s Arun Yogiraj. Warmest congratulations to @yogiraj_arun for Shilpi,” Yediyurappa posted on X.
Arun Yogiraj is who?
Sculptor Yogiraj is from a five-generation family of well-known Mysore sculptors. Yogiraj’s father Yogiraj and grandfather Basavanna Shilpi, who benefited from the King of Mysore’s patronage, had a big influence on him when he first began carving.
In 2008, Yogiraj began sculpting full-time after earning an MBA and working in the corporate world.
In addition to the Ram Lalla idol, Yogiraj is known for his amazing sculptures. One such piece is a 30-foot-tall statue of Subhash Chandra Bose, which is on exhibit in Delhi behind the Amar Jawan Jyoti, close to India Gate.
His other noteworthy creations are a 21-foot-tall statue of Hanuman in Mysore and a 12-foot-tall sculpture of Adi Shankaracharya at Kedarnath.
The Ram temple complex was constructed in the classic Nagara style and would measure 380 feet in length (east-west), 250 feet in width, and 161 feet in height. The temple will have twenty feet on each floor.
