'Arun Yogiraj used to wake up at night and...': Acharya who saw idol development

Mysuru-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj, who chiselled the 'Ram Lalla' idol consecrated in the newly-constructed temple in Ayodhya, used to wake up in the middle of the night for over the past seven months, saying "Ram Lalla is calling him".

Acharya Sumdhur Shastri, a scholar of Sanskrit and music, shared his experiences from witnessing the first chisel striking the foundation stone for the idol of Ram Lalla to the completion of the deity's installation and the initial adornment in the sanctum sanctorum.

According to Shastri, initially, Satyanarayan Pandey came up to make an idol of Ram Lalla, for the sanctum sanctorum, and then JJ Bhatt's name came up.

Finally, Arun Yogiraj was selected to chisel down an idol of Ram Lalla for the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram Mandir.

"The trust's instructions were clear that Ram Lalla's idol should resemble a child's form, with a height of 51 inches, and a special focus on the details of hair and features. The discussion went into great detail about capturing all the divine attributes," Shastri said while speaking to Aaj Tak.

He recalled how Arun Yogiraj repeatedly woke him up in the middle of the night over the past seven months, urging him to accompany and witness the divine calling of Ram Lalla.

Speaking to Aajtak, Shastri also added that Arun Yogiraj started his work with a slight delay. Initially, communication became a challenge for him and Arun Yogiraj, but then a middle ground was achieved with both of them communicating in "tooti-footi English" (weak English).

"The entire process (of the development of Ram Lalla's idol) took 7 to 8 months. In the process, the artistic freedom of the sculptor (Arun Yogiraj) was also taken care of. The idol, consecrated on January 22, stood distinct from the image of Ram Lalla before installation, as the divine essence became apparent post-consecration," he said.

Shastri also touched upon the background research that he and Arun Yogiraj carried out before in the process of development of Ram Lalla's idol.

"To understand the North Indian form of the Ram Lalla, we visited the Swami Narayan Chhapaiya temple and observed the temples in Naimisharanya. We discussed the appearance of the idol with saints and delved into the scriptures and verses from Ramayana to comprehend the divine form. Nripendra Mishra, the chairman of the Ram Temple Construction Committee, occasionally inspected the work," he said.

HOW RAM LALLA IDOL'S EYES WERE CHISELLED

In his interview, Shastri also detailed the intricacies of lifelike expression and depth of Ram Lalla's idol.

"The process of the development of eyes was special. Golden chisels and silver hammers were used to create the deity's eyes with great delicacy. Until the eyes were formed, the idol lacked a certain essence, but with the completion of the eyes, a sense of true divinity emerged. Special attention was given to ensure that Ram Lalla, when seen, conveyed the feeling of observing everyone," he said.

"The construction of Dashavatara was also approached with simplicity and clarity, considering the weapons associated with each avatar. The work took seven days," he added.