BENGALURU/LUCKNOW: The Karnataka BJP unit has kicked off early celebrations in response to unverified reports that the idol of Ram Lalla, skilfully crafted by renowned Mysuru sculptor
Arun Yogiraj
, is most likely to be consecrated in the sanctum sanctorum of Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22 in PM Narendra Modi's presence.
Sources said that on December 29, all 11 members of the Ram temple trust met in Ayodhya to finalise the idol through voting. Ex-officio members were not part of the process. Preferences provided by the trust members were submitted in writing to the president of the trust, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das.
Later, trust general secretary Champat Rai said in a statement that the selection of the idol has been done. However, no official announcement will be made or photograph or video of the idol will be released till January 17 .
The idol will be taken out on '
nagar yatra
' that starts on January 16. Three idols are on the shortlist: Two, carved in black stone, are by Arun Yogiraj and Ganesh Bhatt of Karnataka; and the third, in white, by
Satyanarayan Pandey
of Rajasthan.
Celebrations in Karnataka began rather early. "The intricately crafted idol of Lord Rama by sculptor Yogiraj has been chosen for its special significance. Crafted with Krishna stone sourced from HD Kote, the idol establishes a symbolic connection between Karnataka, the sacred birthplace of Hanuman, and Sri Ram," senior BJP MLA and opposition leader in the legislative assembly, R Ashoka, wrote on microblogging site X.
Former CM BS Yediyurappa and his son, BJP state president BY Vijayendra, congratulated Mysuru's Arun Yogiraj and highlighted the deep ties between Karnataka and Sri Ram.
The 51-inch idol, a representation of Lord Rama as a five-year-old Bala Rama, carved by Arun Yogiraj, is considered a forerunner. The fifth-generation sculptor from Mysuru has already garnered recognition for his previous works, including a 30-foot statue of Subhas Chandra Bose in New Delhi and a 12-foot tall statue of Adi Sankaracharya in Uttarakhand's Kedarnath. PM Modi has appreciated Yogiraj's craftsmanship.
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