Idols of Arun Yogiraj from Mysuru and Bhat are among the three shortlisted for installation in Ayodhya.
Ganesh Bhat, a Bengaluru-based sculptor, whose Bala Rama idol has been shortlisted for installation at Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, has his roots in Idagunji of Honnavar taluk of Uttara Kannada district.
Idols of Arun Yogiraj from Mysuru and Bhat are among the three shortlisted for installation in Ayodhya. Although Yogiraj’s idol is said to have been finalised for consecration on January 22, it is yet to be officially confirmed..
Bhat hails from the family of priests of Idagunji Ganapathi Temple, which is considered as the oldest Ganapathi temple in the country. “I never expected an offer to carve the idol of Bala Rama. I was at a wedding in Idagunji when I got a call from Ram Mandir Trust. I was asked whether I can make an idol of Lord Ram. It was a big surprise. I readily agreed as it is a pride and honour for any sculptor,” he said.
Accordingly, he along with his assistants went to Ayodhya, where they were told to maintain secrecy of their work. Once he was asked to work on the idol, he selected a Shyama shila from the outskirts of Heggadadevanakote in Mysuru district. “Shyama shila is a natural stone. It will be soft inside the earth and after extraction, it becomes hard and ideal for carving. Usually, temple idols are made of this stone,” Bhat said.
“Our challenge was to create an unknown image of Bala Rama. We studied various Shilpa shastras. We adopted almost all types of art forms right from Kashmir to Kanniyakumari. Sitting on a lotus, this monolith statue has Shiva, Brahma, Bala Hanuman, weapons of Vishnu, and Surya around it. In this form, the idol gives voluminous information about Lord Rama, an incarnation of Vishnu. The Sun represents his dynasty,” Bhat said.
He said that his team of eight people took seven months to carve the 7.4-foot idol. Bipin Singh Baduria, a sculptor from Uttar Pradesh who has made Karnataka his home now, and Sandeep Naik, a sculptor from Idagunji, are part of his team.
Bhat has carved over 2,000 statues, which have been consecrated in temples not only in India, but also abroad. He has been honoured with national and international awards for his works.
source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)