Bikaner: Sculptor Arun Yogiraj left everyone spellbound after he created the Ram Lalla idol that has been installed in the 'garbha griha' of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
Yogiraj, who has been receiving accolades for his work, in a conversation with ETV Bharat said making the idol of Ram Lalla was his destiny and would not have been possible without the grace of God. Yogiraj talked about his selection and the process of making the idol. He said his name was not in the list of sculptors selected initially for sculpting the idol.
"When Sachchidanand Joshi, Chairman of Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, came to know of this, I was contacted and later I was called and my name was included in the list at the last moment", he said, adding Joshi closely observed his previous works including the statue of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose made by him. "Joshi then convinced Champak Rai and others of Ram Mandir Trust to include me in the selection list," Yogiraj said.
He said the list included 30 sculptors who were asked to make a model and sketch. "But I refused to do so. It takes time and I started the work on the statue without a model and sketch. I was selected at the last moment. Although, I had a desire to make the statue but when I did not get a call, I met the committee members and put forward my views. I was the selected for the work," he said.
Yogiraj will be conferred an honorary degree for his achievements by Maharaja Ganga Singh University, Bikaner on Tuesday. Yogiraj said it is an honour for him and thanked the university fraternity and the Vice Chancellor.
Yogiraj said Rajasthan is the epicentre of art and culture. "Not only kings and forts, the art and culture here is also ancient," he said. Yograj said he now making a statue for a Sai Baba Temple in the USA.
