Mysuru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday November 6 unveiled 12-feet-height statue of spiritual guru Adi Shankaracharya at Kedaranath in Uttarakhand State.
The statue sculpted in single black stone attracting thousands of people even Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) admired the work. PM Modi last year decided to establish a museum and study chair of Shankaracharya.
The PMO shortlisted four sculptors for the statue and Mysuru sculptor Arun Yogiraj’s model was finalised. He is a 37-year-old MBA graduate left his profitable job in 2008 to become a sculptor as it is his family profession since five generations.
Grandfather of Arun B. Basavanna, his father Yogiraj have also sculpted many idols. Speaking to NewsKarnataka, Arun said that he has established a 25-ft-tall Anjaneya statue at Chunchanakatte in Mysuru District and a Shiva statue in one other location. “I have also taken up the construction of a temple in Malaysia as well as at Kanakapura in Ramanagara District,” he added. He said he selected black stone from Chamarajanagara for the statue and it took nine months to sculpt the statue.
Arun has done challenging work earlier too. A few years ago, he made the life-size statue of the last ruler of Mysore Kingdom Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar, which is now on the Hardinge Circle in Mysuru.
He said that he was supposed to be in Kedaranath during inaugural ceremony but he came back hurriedly as his father passed away. He said that the 12-feet-statue weighs around 22 tonnes, was taken to Uttarakhand in the month of July. Then it was airlifted by Chinook helicopter to Kedaranath shrine.
Mysuru District Minister S. T. Somashekar on Friday November 5, felicitated Arun Yogiraj on behalf of PM Modi.
