The serene Ram Temple in Ayodhya has welcomed the masterpieces of several sculptors, each given a divine mission to represent the revered deity Ram Lalla. While the spotlight fell upon the black granite idol from Mysuru sculpted by Arun Yogiraj, two other intricately carved idols are finding their home in different parts of the temple. Among them is a white marble idol that showcases Ram Lalla with a golden bow and arrow, carved by Rajasthan’s Satyanarayan Pandey—a manifestation of exquisite artistry but not chosen to be placed within the temple’s sanctum sanctorum.
The chosen idol is an embodiment of history and durability, made from a 2.5 billion-year-old rock sourced from Karnataka. Behind its artistic rendition lies the scientific assurance by HS Venkatesh of the National Institute of Rock Mechanics on its resilience. Yogiraj, the sculptor behind this artwork, deemed the day of ‘pran pratistha’ as the pinnacle of his life, imbuing his work with sleepless dedication with a belief that it was Lord Ram’s divine selection.
Ganesh Bhatt, another sculptor from Karnataka, is acknowledged alongside Yogiraj and Pandey for his contributions. The Ram Temple, still undergoing construction, will eventually feature their idols and is poised to become a sanctuary that houses the idol of Raja Ram, accompanied by Sita, Laxman, and Hanuman. The sheer beauty and soul-touching divinity of the idols have captivated the nation, with many remaining mesmerized during the ‘pran pratistha’ ceremony on January 22, where the revelation of the idol’s eyes left an indelible mark on the hearts of devotees. Prominent figures like Amitabh Kant and Virender Sehwag lauded the craftsmanship and the serene eyes that seem to reflect an ocean of compassion and calm.
The technical challenges of sculpting with shyam shila were immense compared to the easier-to-carve shwet shila or white stone. Sailendra Kumar Swain, an expert in iconography, highlighted the difficulty in carving details like eyes in black stone without deterring the liveliness and compassion they ought to exude. However, Yogiraj, a fifth-generation sculptor, surpassed those challenges with his artistic tenacity.
In Hinduism, the eyes of an idol are far more than an artistic endeavor; they are revered as the medium through which the divine observes the world, granting grace and blessings. Rituals such as ‘Netronmilan’ signify the awakening of the deity within the idol, transforming a stone figure into a vessel of the divine’s living spirit. Yogiraj, celebrated for crafting many iconic statues, will forever be remembered as the gifted sculptor of the captivating eyes of Balak Ram, delivering a timeless gift of spirituality and artistry to the world.