Artist Ramamurthy has made two idols of Lord Ram and one each of Luv and Kush
Two idols of Lord Ram and one each of Luv and Kush have been dispatched today from Kengari on the outskirts of Bengaluru to Ayodhya, where they will be presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 5.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will present the one-and-half-feel tall statues to PM Modi after the foundation stone ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Another three-feet-tall idol crafted by artist Ramamurthy will be placed on the temple's premises. "I am delighted to be part of this historic occasion," said Ramamurthy.
The idols have been crafted out of teak and they show a confluence of Chola art and other popular forms from southern India.
Ramamurthy was given a national award by the President for his craftsmanship in 2015-16 for a 7.5-feet idol of Lord Ram
The idol of Lord Ram is beautifully decorated with ornaments and various kinds of cloth. Kodand, or bow and arrow, makes the idol even more attractive.
"I have crafted it from the core of my heart. It has given me enormous pleasure," said Ramamurthy, who got the order for the idols some months ago.
Ramamurthy was given a national award by the President for his craftsmanship in 2015-16 for a 7.5-feet idol of Lord Ram.
This idol was bought by a research institute in Ayodhya from the Karnataka Handicraft Development Corporation in 2017 for approximately Rs 32 lakh.
"I have crafted it from the core of my heart," the artist said
Mr Adityanath, who liked this idol, made the Uttar Pradesh government to place orders with Ramamurthy.
For the construction of the Ram temple, water and soil from the Cauvery river is being sent along with shila from Udupi, known in the Ramayana as Kishkindha; the Rishi Mukh Parvat also finds prominence in the Ramayana.