The other two Ram Lalla idols will also get a ‘pride of place’ in temple

The trust has selected the 51-inch Ram Lalla idol sculpted by Mysuru-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj for the sanctum sanctorum out of the three commissioned by it.

He added that the other two idols by Ganesh Bhatt and Satyanarayan Pandey will also get a pride of place in the temple complex and their exact location will be decided and divulged at an appropriate time. Parts of the temple complex are still under construction and will be completed by December 2025.

Bhatt and Pandey said they are not disappointed that their Ram Lalla idols did not get selected for the sanctum sanctorum. They said they are proud of their work and claim their idols were unique. Both have been invited by the trust for Monday’s consecration ceremony, along with Yogiraj.

“All the three sculptors have been compensated by the trust for their efforts, which ran into months,” Nripendra Mishra, the chairman of the temple construction committee told The Indian Express.

Flower decoration being done inside the temple. (Photo Credit: Temple Trust)

Bhatt (62) hails from Idagunji, Karnataka, and has made idols of Ganesha, Vishnu, Hanuman, and Adi Shankaracharya for many temples in India and abroad, including in the US, UK, and France.

Son of a priest, he started carving at the age of seven. Bhatt took a formal training from KG Shantappa Gudigar and learnt ancient Indian traditional carvings from Devalakunda Vadiraj. He also studied “Shilpsastram” from professor S K Ramchandra Rao.

For making Ram Lalla idol, Bhatt used high-density stone of Krishna Shila. Speaking to The Indian Express, he said, “I am not disappointed… It was like a competition in which at least one person should win. It is not like that another one is not good. I feel Ram Lalla in a different way. To me, my (idol) is the best… I made a pure Indian traditional Ram Lalla.”

In Ayodhya, he was provided accommodation on a campus near his workshop where he lived along with some of his “disciples” who assisted him. During his seven months in Ayodhya, he visited his family only a couple of times particularly to meet his grandson.

He had started carving the stone in May 2023 after performing a ritual and puja. From the start of work to completion, he kept ghee-fuelled diyas lit. He prayed twice daily, and listened to stories from Ramayana. He completed making a 54-inch idol on December 10 and handed it over to the trust and now it is up to them where they wish to place it.

Flower decoration for Ram temple inauguration in Ayodhya. (Express Photo)

Pandey (65) of Jaipur is originally from Uttar Pradesh but his grandparents had moved to Rajasthan several decades ago. He learnt the art of sculpting from his father and grandfather. Having expertise in making idols using marbles, Pandey, a satsangi, and a devotee of Hanuman, also has expertise in clay modelling. He has a workshop and showroom in Jaipur that he runs with his two sons.

He had come into contact with a senior Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) functionary in Ayodhya in 2022 to whom he had shown two small-sized idols (1.25 feet) of Ram Lalla that he had made from a white marble in Jaipur.

In December 2022, he had given one Ram Lalla to UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. “I told Pankaj ji (VHP leader) that I want to make Ram Lalla here in Ayodhya. He also came to my workshop in Jaipur,” Pandey said. After a meeting in Delhi, Pandey and other two sculptors were selected and they were provided key guidelines on the idol and also a drawing of the Ram Lalla.

“I imagined Lord Ram according to whatever I had heard about him in satsangs,” Pandey said. To achieve his goal, Pandey used to meditate by chanting “Sita Ram, Shri Ram” daily, performed yagna in a nearby temple and organised bhandara (community feast).

Pandey clicked 25 photographs of his sister’s five-year-old grandson, Raghav, and put it up in the workshop to visualise and depict the ideal features with innocence of Ram Lalla. He sculpted the Ram Lalla idol in a white makrana marble.

His younger son stayed with him mostly at the workshop in Ayodhya, while his elder son stayed in Jaipur. Though his Ram Lalla idol was not selected, Pandey’s makrana marble sculptures of Jay-Vijay, Ganesha, and Hanuman have been placed at the sanctum sanctorum, and pink sandstone sculptures of elephant, lion, Hanuman, and garuda have been placed at the main entrance of the temple. His team of over 200 workers made the sculptures.

On his idol not getting selected for sanctum sanctorum, Pandey said, “I am not disappointed. I trust Lord Hanuman who gave me strength to carve the Ram Lalla idol.”