Bengaluru: Arun Yogiraj, a renowned sculptor who was behind Ayodhya Temple's famous Ram Lalla idol, has failed to obtain a visa to travel to the United States, sources in his family said on Wednesday. The Mysuru-based sculptor was supposed to travel to the US this month on a 20-day trip, they said.
Yogiraj, 41, was scheduled to attend the 12th AKKA (Association of Kannada Kootas of America) World Kannada Conference in Richmond, Virginia. He was also slated to attend some other events in the US. However, he was denied a visa by US authorities for unknown reasons, putting an end to his planned trip.
"He had applied for visa, filled all the columns in the form and produced necessary documents but his application was rejected. The reason is not known," a family member said. The US Embassy has not stated any reason for the denial of the visas.
An MBA graduate hailing from Mysuru, Yogiraj has carved a niche for himself as he rose to prominence by sculpting the impressive 51-inch idol of Ram Lalla for Ayodhya temple, the 28-feet-tall Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose statue near India Gate, and the 12-feet-tall Adiguru Shankaracharya statue in Kedarnath. All three statues were inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"I am the luckiest person on earth. The blessings of my ancestors, family members, 'kul devta', and Lord Ram Lalla have always been with me and they helped me in completing this task," he told India TV in an exclusive interview in January. "My biggest concern was that the nation should appreciate and love this idol of Lord Ram and my target was to connect the nation."
The Ram Lalla idol was unveiled at the Pran Pratishtha ceremony after the hour-long rituals in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who led the ceremony. The event saw the participation of about 8,000 invitees, including 1,500-1,600 eminent guests.
Thousands of temples, government buildings, railway stations, institutions, shops, were decorated to celebrate the occasion. Ayodhya witnessed fireworks, light and sound shows in the evening to commemorate the event. Several ghats in the country were also decorated, lit up in special lights to welcome Lord Ram. Religious processions, community langars were also organised in various cities. Overall, the country was in a festive mood on the inauguration day of Ram Mandir.
(with agencies input)
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