Mysuru sculptor gets opportunity to carve Subhash Chandra Bose statue for India Gate

Rare chance to sculpt Bose after Adi Shankaracharya for Kedarnath

Mysuru-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj Shilpi, who shot to fame with his 12-feet tall idol of Adi Shankaracharya that was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Kedarnath, in Uttarakhand on November 5, 2021, has got another good opportunity to prove his skills.

Arun has been selected by the Union government to sculpt the 30-feet-tall statue of Subhas Chandra Bose, scheduled to be installed at India Gate. He is leaving for Delhi shortly, to begin sculpting the statue.

The statue is being installed in a canopy, behind the erstwhile Amar Jawan Jyoti to mark 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav', to commemorate 75 years of Independence as well as Bose's 125th birth anniversary. It may be recalled that the Prime Minister unveiled a hologram statue of Subhas Chandra Bose at India Gate on January 23. Bose was born on January 23, 1897.

Arun met the Prime Minister at New Delhi, on April 5, as a prelude to his new assignment. The PM had tweeted a photo of him receiving a two-feet-tall monolithic stone model of Bose from Arun.

Speaking to DH, Arun said he is extremely happy to have got an opportunity to carve historical statues for the nation. “Even though I was told to make the preparations to carve the statue a couple of months back, I got the official order only a few days back. I am happy that the Union Ministry of Culture has reposed its confidence in me. Now, it is my responsibility to live up to their expectations,” he said.

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Arun said the statue will be 30-feet tall including the pedestal. “It will be carved out of black granite and its design will be given by the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) under the Union Ministry of Culture. The ministry has provided a place in Delhi where I and my team of sculptors will carve the statue,” he said.

A black jade granite stone was brought from Telangana to Delhi for the statue. The work is scheduled to be completed by August 15.

The canopy, which once housed a statue of king George V, was built in the 1930s by Sir Edwin Lutyens. The statue was moved to Coronation Park in Central Delhi in the mid 1960s.

Arun’s other works include the white marble statue of Maharaja Jaya Chamarajendra Wadiyar and Swami Ramakrishna Paramahamsa in Mysuru. Recently, he sculpted a 31-feet tall monolithic idol of Anjaneya, in Hoysala style, that was installed at Sri Rama temple, Chunchanakatte, KR Nagar taluk, Mysuru district, on May 20.

“The legacy of sculpting since five generations, the inspiration drawn from my forefathers, my individual interest in the art since childhood, my father’s training and grooming, my education, physical fitness, hard work, team work, commitment and other factors work in my favour,” Arun said, elaborating on his accomplishments.