Arun Yogiraj
 | This article may need to be rewritten to comply with Wikipedia's quality standards. (June 2025) |
Dr.Arun Yogiraj | |
|---|---|
| Born | 15 December 1983[1] |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation(s) | Sculptor, Artist |
| Notable work |
|
| Spouse | Vijetha Mohan |
| Awards |
|
| Website | arunyogiraj.com |
Arun Yogiraj (born 15 July 1983)[2] is an Indian sculptor from Mysuru, Karnataka. He has carved the 30-feet statue of Subhash Chandra Bose, which was installed in the canopy behind the Amar Jawan Jyoti at the India Gate[3] in New Delhi ahead of the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. His idol of Ram Lalla, the child form of Hindu god Rama, is also installed at Ayodhya's Ram Temple.[4][5]
Early Life and Education
[edit]Yogiraj was born into a family of traditional sculptors in Mysore, Karnataka. Arun Yogiraj married Vijetha Mohan and they have a daughter and a son. His grandfather was a national awardee honored by the president of India in 1983, and his father was a state award-winning sculptor.[6]
He studied at JSS Balajagath School in Mysore, then completed his BCom and MBA from the University of Mysore. Though he briefly worked in the corporate world, he decided in 2008 to return to his roots and pursue sculpting full-time.[citation needed]
From the age of 11, he trained in the ancient Indian technique of Shilpa Shastra, which emphasizes precision in sculpting through traditional tools and measurement methods like Thadam (using rice grains). He crafted his first major sculpture of Ayyappa Swamy in 2005.[citation needed]
Career
[edit]Yogiraj’s career was shaped by both tradition and innovation. In 2011, he began focusing on hyper-realistic sculpting, expanding his knowledge by interacting with international sculptors and studying anatomy and structure.[citation needed]
A major milestone in his career was the successful sculpting of a 15-foot marble statue of Maharaja Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar. The statue received praise from the then Chief Minister of Karnataka in 2015, who noted that the sculpture “looked alive.”[citation needed]
Yogiraj works primarily in the Mysore style of sculpture, an evolution of the Hoysala architectural method. To date, he has completed over 10,000 sculptures of varying sizes and styles.[citation needed]
Works
[edit]Yogiraj's recent works include the statue of Ram Lalla. The 51 inch tall idol has been installed in the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya.[7][8][6]
His other works include a 12-feet, tall 3-D statue of Adi Shankaracharya in Kedarnath,[9] the 21-feet tall Hanuman statue at Chunchanakatte in Mysore district, 15-feet tall sculpture of Dr. BR Ambedkar, in Mysuru inaugurated by the then chief minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah in 2018,[10] the white amritashila statue of Swami Ramakrishna Paramahamsa in Mysore, six-feet monolithic statue of Nandi and a six-feet tall statue of Banashankari Devi. The 14.5-feet tall white amritashila (marble) statue of the Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar which was unveiled in 2016,[10] the Raja of Mysore is one of the famous of his works along with the 5-feet bust of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar.[11][12]
| Work Name | Location | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Ram Lalla Idol | Ayodhya Ram Mandir | 2024 |
| Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Statue | India Gate, New Delhi | 2022 |
| Adi Shankaracharya Statue | Kedarnath | 2021 |
| Amarnath Nandi | Jammu and Kashmir | — |
| Sangolli Rayanna Statue (12 ft, bronze) | Mysore | — |
| Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Statue (10 ft) | Mysore | — |
| Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Statue (15 ft, marble) | Mysore | — |
| Mahatma Gandhi Statue (25 ft) | Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru | — |
Awards
[edit]- Karnataka Rajyotsava award in 2024.[13]
References
[edit]- ^ https://www.arunyogiraj.com/about/
- ^ https://www.arunyogiraj.com/about/
- ^ "Arun Yogiraj: Meet the MBA-turned sculptor whose Ram idol has been selected for Ayodhya temple". The Economic Times. 2 January 2024. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ "Who is Arun Yogiraj, sculptor whose Ram Lalla idol selected for grand temple in Ayodhya?". Hindustan Times. 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ "Renowned sculptor Arun Yogiraj's idol of Ram Lalla chosen for Ayodhya's grand temple". Hindustan Times. 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ a b Indian Express – Meet Arun Yogiraj
- ^ "Ayodhya Ram Mandir: Facts And Details You Must Know". Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ BBC News – Arun Yogiraj: Sculptor behind Ram Lalla idol
- ^ Jaiswal, Arushi (1 January 2024). "Ayodhya Temple: Mysuru sculptor Arun Yogiraj's Ram Lalla idol selected for January 22 installation". www.indiatvnews.com. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ a b Mehrotra, Puja (13 September 2022). "MBA to master sculptor — Arun Yogiraj's journey to pulling off 28-ft Netaji statue at India Gate". ThePrint. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ "His deft hands shaping Nalwadi's five-feet bust". Star of Mysore. 4 February 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ Hindustan Times – Arun Yogiraj: The artist behind Ram Lalla
- ^ "Karnataka Rajyotsava Awards: Ram Mandir statue sculptor Arun Yogiraj, former India hockey coach Jude Felix among awardees". The Indian Express. 31 October 2024. Retrieved 2 June 2025.