Arun Yogiraj sculpted the statue of Jagadguru Sri Adi Shankaracharya at Kedarnath
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the statue of Jagadguru Sri Adi Shankaracharya at Kedarnath on Friday the city-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj who watched the proceedings from Mysuru, was overcome with mixed feelings.
Though there was a sense of joy in having successfully completed the task, it was supplanted by grief over the recent death of his father – B.S.Yogiraj Shilpi – from whom he inherited the family tradition. His father was a recipient of many awards including the Amarashilpi Jakanachari award instituted by Karnataka Shilpa Academy and the Karnataka Rajyothsava award.
An MBA from the University of Mysore, Arun Yogiraj trained for six months in the HR Department of a private company. “But I listened to my inner voice and left the private sector job and returned to Mysuru to carry forward the family tradition,” he said.