New Delhi:
Prime Minister Modi had expressed his interest in meeting Arun Yogiraj after seeing the statue of Adi Shankaracharya. The sculptor was unable to attend the installation ceremony at Kedarnath because his mother was ill.
After presenting the two-foot-tall statue to the prime minister, Yogiraj tweeted and thanked Mysuru MP Pratap Simha, saying the latter had organized the meeting.
I had the opportunity to present Subhas Chandra Bose’s 2ft monolithic stone model to @narendramodi Ji thanks to our dyn… t.co/k0XxMaMs8d
— ANI (@ANI) April 5, 2022
PM Modi, meanwhile, tweeted, “Nice to meet @yogiraj_arun today. Grateful to him for sharing this exceptional sculpture by Netaji Bose.”
Glad to have met @yogiraj_arun today. I am grateful to him for sharing this exceptional sculpture by Netaji Bose. t.co/DeWVdJ6XiU
— ANI (@ANI) April 5, 2022
Chief Minister of Karnataka
Our very own sculptor Arun Yogiraj got to meet Hon’ble PM @narendramodi Ji today and presented him with a two-legged monolith… t.co/mX1ePxHAfK
— ANI (@ANI) April 5, 2022
Arun Yogiraj, who earned an MBA from Mysore University, gave up his career in private business to pursue the family tradition of sculpture. His father, the late BS Yogiraj Shilpi – who taught him the art and inherited the tradition – received several awards including the Amarashilpi Jakanachari Award from Karnataka Shilpa Academy and the Karnataka Rajyothsava Award.
About Arun Yogiraj
“My father and my grandfather wanted to keep every stone alive. Every one of their leave shots impressed me a lot. They carved me into a beautiful sculpture. So the house itself became my first school,” Arun said.
List of awards
- Young Talent Award by Central Government in 2014
- Rajyotsava Award from Mysore District Authority and Karnataka Government
- Shilpa Kaustubha Award by Shilpakala Sangha (for the first time a young artist received this award)
- Congratulations from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah
- United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan visited Arun Yogiraj’s workplace and enjoyed it
- Congratulations by Mysore Kingdom Family
- Congratulation by Mysore District Sports Academy
- Congratulation by Amara Shilpi Jakanachari Trust
- Congratulations from Kingdom Members
- Congratulations from Vice Chancellor of Mysore University