Mysuru sculptor behind Shankaracharya statue had quit private job to pursue his passion

Fifth-generation sculptor Arun Yogiraj’s prototype had been picked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from among several shortlisted for the project. With his team, Yogiraj toiled for 14 hours every day for nine months to complete the statue

Arun Yogiraj with the statue of Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya (Source: Arun Yogiraj website)

It was a moment of elation for Karnataka when Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the statue of Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya sculpted by Mysuru-based Arun Yogiraj at Kedarnath on November 5. An MBA from the University of Mysore, Yogiraj had quit his job at a private firm to pursue sculpting – an art, he says, five generations of his family have held dear.

“I learned it from my father BS Yogiraj Shilpi at the age of 10. It was like playing with stone in my childhood. I started developing an interest. After returning from school, I used to take it in my hand. During this period, I never ignored my education. I completed my MBA in 2008 and worked for a brief period in the HR department of a private company. After some initial hesitation, I came back to what I thought was best for me, sculpting,” he said.

Yogiraj said his mother tried to convince him to quit sculpting and take up a permanent job. He, however, convinced family members that he would leave a mark in the field. “She had seen my father struggle and did not want me to have an unsettled career,” he added.

The process to find sculptors for the Adi Shankaracharya statue began in August 2020 (Source: Arun Yogiraj website)

The process to find sculptors for the Adi Shankaracharya statue began in August 2020 and five artists from Karnataka were shortlisted. Jindal Steel Works (JSW), which took up the project, provided a 3D model photograph of the ninth-century seer.

“I was one of the five artists. I told JSW that I would want complete freedom to work on the sculpture. I was confident of doing a better job than what was illustrated in the photograph. I presented a two-foot model of Adi Shankaracharya which the PM saw. After looking at prototypes from other parts of the country, he finalised mine. I got a call from the Prime Minister’s Office that my model was finalised. Moreover, the PM also stated that he did not want any change,” Yogiraj told The Indian Express.

He soon began working on the 12-foot statue with his team, not taking a single day off even during the second wave of the pandemic. “We worked 14-15 hours daily for nine months. When Covid cases peaked, we hired a cook since we could not afford to go out. We did not want to compromise on the sculpture at all. The importance of Adi Shankaracharya is very high in our lives and, moreover, the statue was to be unveiled at a reverent site. There were seven members in the team and my father also guided me,” the artist said.

His father, who so far had scant appreciation for Yogiraj’s works, was elated on seeing the sculpture, the 37-year-old said, adding that his wife too had complained about him neglecting the family. “I kept myself immersed in the project since I knew that the entire nation would be proud of the sculpture and the PM had reposed his faith in me.”

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Yogiraj’s other notable works include a 15-ft white marble sculpture of Maharaja Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar in Mysuru and a life-size white marble sculpture of Swami Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.

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