When Rama Went To Ayodhya From Karnataka For The Bhumi Pujan

When the land of Rama was seeing a resurgence of Dharma, the land of Hanuman also made its presence felt as a 3-foot-tall wooden sculpted statue of Kodandarama was gifted by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Having completed the bhumi poojan rituals for the most awaited temple for Ram Lalla in Ayodhya, the duo addressed the nation reminiscing the contribution of everyone and every part of the country in making this day a reality. And Karnataka found a special mention as Yogi Adityanath gifted a glistening idol of bow-and-arrow-wielding Shri Ram to PM Modi.

Images of this idol were circulated along with those of a larger replica, crediting a wood sculptor from Karnataka for it. And as mystical as it sounds the maker goes by the name of Ramamurthy.

Ramamurthy Achar is the creator of this idol in teak wood. A fifth generation wood sculptor, Achar is based in Kengeri in Bengaluru and made this idol on the request of the Uttar Pradesh administration.

Having received a call from the Director of Ayodhya Research Centre, Achar made the statue which has had his phone ringing ever since the mention of the same from the dias at the historic event.

He laughed when asked if he was tired of telling the same tale to those seeking to know the details saying, 'My phone has been ringing and I have been sharing images to so many people since afternoon that I have had to charge my phone twice in the last six seven hours'.

The idol left Bengaluru on 1 August and was made as a replica of his earlier 7.5 foot work which had bagged him the President's award. That was purchased by the UP Ministry of Culture's Ayodhya Research Centre in 2019.

Since then, they have placed repeat requests for similar ones. "I had delivered two other murthis and they had placed an order for two more of the same size (3 foot). When I started working on the third idol, they called and informed that the date for the bhoomi pujan had been set and that this would be for that occasion. It was a very joyous moment," says Achar.

All the idols have been sculpted out of teak wood but the 'detailing in design and the polish has been made to enhance its look and grandeur, hence the feel of rosewood', explains Achar.

The first larger-than-life size statue that stands in Ayodhya today was originally carved by Achar for the National award he says. " To mark my 42 years of craftsmanship I made the 7 foot idol for the President's award as a testimony of the effort and art that has been handed over to me over five generations," says Achar, the joy in his voice clearly resonating pride and humility over his 'kulavritti' (family occupation) having received such recognition.

"I won the President's award for 2015-16. I received the award in 2017 and in Delhi where the statue was placed it was spotted by the Ayodhya Research Centre, who bought it in 2019 and it found its way to Ayodhya," says Achar reminiscing the journey of Kodandarama to the land where now shall be built the grandest temple to the one revered across the nation.