Sri Shankaracharya Statue at Kedarnath shrine and the Mysuru connection

Bengaluru, 05 November (HS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the 12 feet statue of Adi Shankaracharya in a sitting position at the Kedarnath shrine in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand on Friday.

The statue, including the pedestal, weighs 35 tons and was sculpted by a team of sculptors led by Arun Yogiraj(37) from Mysuru. In fact, the union Government had invited several sculptors for the project. Interestingly, the model of Arun Yogiraj was approved by the PMO.

The work on the statue began in September last year and Arun Yogiraj with a team of seven others. They worked for more than half a day to ensure that the order was ready as per the schedule.

Arun Yogiraj, the chief architect of the statue was felicitated by the district in-charge minister ST Somasekhar in Mysuru on Friday. It was a momentous occasion for the whole team who accomplished the task.

120 tons of Krishna Shile for the statue: Usually, the idols of Gods and Goddesses meant to be worshipped in the temples are carved on stones called locally Krishna Shile or jet black colored rock. For the statue of Adi Shankaracharya, a total of 120 tons of Chlorite Schist stone, well-known for its sustenance amidst rain, sunshine and adverse climatic conditions was procured.

A Fifth-generation sculptor: According to his page on the net, Arun?s relation with stones is by birth. Actually, he belongs to the fifth generation in sculpturing in his family. Chowdappa Achar, Basavanna Achar, Basavanna Shilpi, Yogiraj Shilpi were popular artists.

Cauvery idol at KRS Dam: B. Basavanna Shilpi, his grandfather was a recognized artist of the palace. The family which was close to Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar carved temples of Gayathri and Bhuvaneshwari in the palace premises. He sculpted the Cauvery idol at Krishna Raja Sagara dam. His father Yogiraj Shilpi was also known for sculptures. So, naturally, Arun also has a bond with art.

Arun played with furlough!: Arun was attracted by the strokes on furlough by his grandfather and father. When all the other children went to play, Arun wanted to be with stones during his free time. At an age when he should have been playing with a ball, furlough was in his hand instead. He helped his father and grandfather who used to prepare sculptures in front of the house.

Raised eyebrows of Dad and Grandpa: The small hands in the tender age were hurt during the learning process. But, this didn?t dampen the spirit. Soon after returning from school, he used to take furlough in the hand. During his college days, his works raised the eyebrows of his father and grandfather.

Every stone meant to be alive!: ?My father and grandfather wanted to keep alive every stone. Their every stroke on furlough impressed me a lot. They carved me into a beautiful sculpture. So, the house itself became my first school?, submits Arun.