Bengaluru sends 'Kodanda Ram' idol for Ayodhya's Ram Temple groundbreaking event

Bengaluru on Wednesday joined the country in the foundation stone laying ceremony for the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya in a special way by sending wooden sculptures of Ram and his sons Lava-Kusha for the ceremony.

Follow live updates on the Ayodhya Ram Temple here

The intricately carved wooden statues caught the attention of many as they were presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath soon after the foundation stone laying ceremony. The minutely carved statues were the creation of M Ramamurthy, a national award-winning sculptor from Vinayaka Layout in the Jnanabharathi limits of Bengaluru.

Ramamurthy worked for 14 to 16 hours every day for the last two and half months on the memorable statues of Sri Ram that were gifted to the PM. Sharing his joy with DH on the sidelines of the foundation laying ceremony at Ayodhya, Ramamurthy said, “I had no clue that my work will be presented to the Prime Minister.

Karnataka-based sculptor M Ramamurthy who crafted the Kodanda Rama idol. Credit: Deccan Herald EXCLUSIVE

I had just carved them after receiving orders from the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust six months ago. But watching Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath present my idols to the PM was a memorable event in my life.”

Ramamurthy’s tryst with carving Ram idols began five years ago when he had extensively worked on carving a 7.5-foot Kodanda Ram (Ram holding bow and arrow) statue.

“The statue, bought by the UP government for Rs 35 lakh, is installed at a museum in Ayodhya. I had invested all my efforts and hard work of 40 years to carve the statue. I was presented with the national award for my work. Since then, the Ram Janmabhoomi trust has been providing me with a contract to carve idols of Sri Ram,” explained 60-year-old Ramamurthy.

Even though he spends 8 to 10 hours every day carving idols, he specifically spent 14 to 16 hours a day for the last 2.5 months to finish carving Ram idols for the Ayodhya event as per the deadline.

The three-foot-tall idol of 'Kodanda Rama’ is a replica of the original statue carved by him which now sits in a museum in Ayodhya, according to the sculptor. “It weighs about 7 to 8 kilograms and is carved out of Burmese Teak available in the local Bengaluru market. I have used walnut depth to add lustre to the ornaments.

While the idol resembles Chola style, the innate carving and ornaments resemble the Hoysala style. Whichever art form that has influenced me in the past, I have devoted myself in applying those to these idols. I have dedicated all my talent to carve these idols that have given me enormous pleasure. The completed idols were taken from my workshop on 1 August to Ayodhya."

Along with the ‘Kodanda Rama’ idols, Ramamurthy has also carved idols of Lava-Kusha singing hymns and dancing to be kept in the collection of the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust museum.

Karnataka-based sculptor Ramamurthy also carved idols of Lava-Kusha. Credit: Deccan Herald EXCLUSIVE