Why Arun Yogiraj Used Karnataka's Krishna Shila Stone for Ram Lalla's Idol | Explained
The Krishna Shila stone can be easily carved into sculptors due to its soft nature which consists mostly of lac
The Ram Lalla idol made by Karnataka’s renowned sculptor Arun Yogiraj had been installed at the Ram temple in Ayodhya for the consecration ceremony on Monday.
The new idol whose consecration ceremony is being done today is made of stone and weighs between 150-200 kgs. The idol depicts the deity as a five-year-old boy in standing posture and was placed at its ‘aasan’ in ‘garbh griha’ on Wednesday.
Yogiraj, along with two other skilled artisans from the country, Ganesh Bhatt from Bengaluru and Satya Narayan Pandey from Rajasthan, were entrusted with the responsibility of crafting statues depicting the child form of Lord Ram.
Ram Temple trust’s general secretary Champat Rai said the idol of Ram Lalla sculpted by Mysuru-based Yogiraj has been selected by the trust from among three idols.
Yogiraj has used the unique Krishna Shila stone from Bujjegoudanapura village in HD Kote taluk of Mysuru district in Karnataka to sculpt the 51-inch idol along with his team.
Here is all you need to know about the Krishna Shila stone:
What is Krishna Shila Stone?
Most of the idols of Gods and Goddesses in temples across South India have been carved from Nellikaru rocks. These stones are referred as Krishna Shilas due to their identical colour as that of Lord Krishna.
Good quality Krishna Shila is available in abundance in HD Kote and Mysuru. The stone can be easily carved into sculptors due to its soft nature which consists mostly of lac. The unique property of the stone is that it is soft when freshly bought from the quarries, but becomes harder after 2-3 years.
The block of stone is first marked as per the design to be carved and it is shaped using chisels of different sizes to obtain the intricate patterns. Then the stone is carved into idols as rough and intricate carvings can be done using small number of tools of different sizes such as hammer, chisels-for fine detailed carving.
Why is Mysore Famous for Stone Carving?
The history of Krishna Shila Stone carving in Mysore dates back to many centuries and have been patronized by royal kingdoms.
Arun Yogiraj, whose idol has been selected for Ram Temple, also has a lineage of five generations in stone carving and his grandfather Basavanna Shilpi was patronized by the King of Mysore.
Mysore has also been the centre of Krishna Shila Stone carving due to abundant availability of the stone deposits, which is available near the city. HD Kote near Mysore is the centre for Krishna Shila Stone deposits.
All the carved products mainly used in several religious temples in and around Mysore and also sent to the all over places in India based on the orders.
As per reports, Arun Yogiraj has been working on the Ram Lalla statues for 12 hours a day for the last six to seven months in Ayodhya to finish it.
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