‘Difficult time’: Ram Lalla sculptor Yogiraj’s wife on his return after 6 months

Arun Yogiraj, sculptor behind the Ram Lalla idol gracing the newly constructed Ram Temple, was warmly welcomed upon his arrival in Bengaluru on Wednesday.

Published on: Jan 25, 2024, 24:05:07 IST

By HT News Desk

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The wife of Arun Yogiraj, the sculptor of Lord Ram Lalla's idol in Ayodhya, said on Wednesday that the six months he had been away from home was a difficult time.

Speaking to PTI upon Yogiraj's return to Bengaluru after the 'pran prathishtha' ceremony in Ayodhya, Vijetha said, “He (Arun Yogiraj) had to face a lot of challenges (during the last six months) but he overcame incredibly well. For me (too) it was difficult (staying away from him for six months) to take care of kids alone. We don’t have any future plans, whatever comes next, we are going to take it wholeheartedly and do it with dedication.”

Arun Yogiraj, the sculptor behind the Ram Lalla idol gracing the newly constructed Ram Temple in Ayodhya, received a warm welcome upon his arrival in Bengaluru on Wednesday. His idol was one of the three finalists chosen by the Ayodhya Temple Trust.

“I have no words for the love people are showing me. I am so indebted to God for this opportunity. The stone used for making the idol of Lord Ram is from Mysuru district. I think it is Lord Ram's blessing that I got the opportunity,” ANI quoted Arun Yogiraj as saying on Wednesday.

“I am the luckiest person on earth. The blessings of my ancestors, family members and Lord Ram Lalla have always been with me. Sometimes, I feel like I am in a dream world. This is the biggest day for me,” he added.

Upon Yogiraj's arrival at Kempegowda International Airport, a large number of BJP supporters gathered to greet him with garlands. Amid chants of 'Jai Sri Ram' and 'Long Live Yogiraj,' they showered him with flowers.

The 51-inch statue of Lord Ram Lalla is hewn from a three-billion-year-old rock. The azure-coloured Krishna Shile (black schist) used for the sculpture was extracted from Gujjegowdanapura in Jayapura Hobli, HD Kote Taluk of Mysuru. This fine-to-medium-grained, sky-blue metamorphic rock, commonly known as soapstone due to its smooth surface texture, is ideal for sculptors in carving idols.

The idol is adorned with Banarasi fabric, donning a yellow dhoti and a red 'pataka' or 'angavastram.' The 'angavastram' is embellished with pure gold 'zari' and threads, showcasing auspicious Vaishnav symbols such as 'shankh,' 'padma,' 'chakra,' and 'mayur.'

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HT News Desk
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