Moment of joy for sculptor of Adi Shankaracharya statue
Mysuru: When Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday unveiled 12-feet tall spiritual guru Adi Shankaracharya statue at Kedaranatha in Uttarkhand, it was a moment of joy and pride for 37-year-old Arun Yogiraj, an MBA graduate from Mysuru who chiselled the statue out of a single block of a black stone.
The statue was admired by the Prime Minister and it was also attracted the attention of thousands of people across India. The Prime Minister had last year decided to establish a museum and study chair in the name of Adi Shankaracharya.
The models submitted by four sculptors were shortlisted by the PMO and Mysuru sculptor Arun Yogiraj's was finalized. Arun had left his profitable job in 2008 to take up sculpting as it is his family profession for five generations. Arun selected a black granite stone from Chamarajanagara for the statue and he took two months to finish the job.
Arun's grandfather B Basavanna and his father Yogiraj also sculpted many statues.
Speaking to The Hans India on his upcoming projects, Arun said that he is working on a 25-ft tall Anjaneya statue to be installed at Chunchanakatte in Mysuru district and a Shiva statue for installation at another location. "I have also taken up the construction of a temple in Malaysia as well as at Kanakapura in Ramanagara district," he added.
Epitomising his skill as a sculptor par excellence, the life-size statue of former ruler of Mysuru kingdom Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar adorns Hardinge Circle in Mysuru.
He was supposed to be at the unveiling of the statue of Adi Shankaracharya at Kedaranath, but he had to return as his father died. According to Arun, the 12-feet tall statue weighs around 22 tonnes. It was transported to Uttarkhand in July from where it was airlifted by Chinook helicopter to Kedaranath. He worked for nine months at the rate of 14 hours a day to complete the task.
Mysuru district minister S T Somashekar on Friday felicitated sculptor Arun Yogiraj on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.