Mysuru sculptor Arun Yogiraj’s Ram Lalla idol to be installed in Ayodhya temple

News Network
January 2, 2024

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Mysuru: The Ram Lalla idol carved by distinguished sculptor Arun Yogiraj from Karnataka’s Mysuru has been chosen for installation at Ayodhya’s Ram Temple during the auspicious ‘Prana Prathistapana Muhurtham’ on January 22.

Of the three idols shortlisted, the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust on Monday, January 1, selected Yogiraj’s Ram Lalla through voting, according to his family members here. 

Yogiraj, who hails from a family of sculptors, used a unique Krishna shila (stone) from Bujjegoudanapura village in HD Kote taluk of Mysuru district to sculpt the idol along with his team.

One of the most sought-after sculptors in the country, Yogiraj sculpted the 30-foot statue of Subhash Chandra Bose installed at Amar Jawan Jyoti behind India Gate in New Delhi. He is also known for his works such as the 12-foot statue of Adi Shankaracharya in Kedarnath, the 21-foot statue of Lord Hanuman at Chunchanakatte in Mysuru district, the 15-foot statue of Dr BR Ambedkar and the statue of Swami Ramakrishna Paramahamsa in Mysuru.

Yogiraj’s wife Vijetha, who expressed her happiness for the selection of her husband’s Ram Lalla, told The New Indian Express that he has been working tirelessly for the past six months. “He did not even meet me or other members of our family during this period. We feel very happy that his work has been selected,” she said.

Many prominent leaders from Mysuru and politicians have congratulated Yogiraj on his achievement. Sharing his happiness on ‘X’, Yediyurappa said, “The idol of Lord Rama sculpted by Arun Yogiraj of Mysuru has been selected for installation in the magnificent Sri Rama Mandir of Ayodhya, which has doubled the pride and happiness of the entire Rama devotees of the state. Heartfelt congratulations to ‘Shilpi @yogiraj_arun’.”

Yediyurappa’s son and BJP state president BY Vijayendra too hailed Yogiraj for making the state and Mysuru proud. “It is the pride of Mysuru, the pride of Karnataka that the idol of Ram Lalla carved by Arun Yogiraj will be enshrined in Ayodhya on January 22,” Vijayendra said. MP PC Mohan and former minister B Sreeramulu also congratulated Yogiraj on social media. 

Yogiraj’s reaction

Sculptor Arun Yogiraj said he has not yet received any official communication about the selection of his idol to be installed in Ayodhya.

However, senior BJP leaders’ posts on ‘X’ made him believe that his work has been selected.“I am happy that I was among the three sculptors from the country selected to carve the idol of Ram Lalla,” Yogiraj said.

The challenge was not easy for him. “The idol should be of a child, who is divine too because it is the statue of the incarnation of God. People who look at the statue should feel the divinity,” Yogiraj said.

“Keeping the divinity aspect along with the child-like face in mind, I started my work about seven months ago. Now, I am extremely happy. More than selection, people should appreciate it. Only then, I will be happy,” he said. 

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News Network
December 2,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 2: Mangaluru International Airport responded to a medical emergency late on Monday night. Air India Express flight IX 522, travelling from Riyadh to Thiruvananthapuram, was diverted to Mangaluru Airport after a passenger in his late 30s experienced a medical emergency on board.

The Airport’s Operations Control Centre received an alert regarding the passenger’s health condition. The airport activated its emergency response protocol, mobilising the airport medical team and coordinating with stakeholders including CISF, immigration, and customs. 

Upon landing, airport medical personnel attended to the passenger, assessed his condition, and arranged to shift him to a local tertiary-care hospital for further treatment. The passenger’s relatives accompanied the passenger, who incidentally received necessary medical care on board, which helped stabilise the situation.

Following the handling of the emergency, the flight departed for Thiruvananthapuram at 2:05 am on Tuesday.

"We appreciate the cooperation of all parties involved, and this incident reaffirms our ongoing commitment to prioritising passenger safety and readiness to respond to unforeseen emergencies with professionalism and care," the Airport spokesperson said. 

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News Network
December 1,2025

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Udupi, Dec 1: A horrific case of alleged rape has unfolded in Udupi, where a worker from a Hindutva organisation, previously arrested and released on bail for harassing a young woman, is now accused of waylaying and sexually assaulting her.

The arrested individual has been identified as Pradeep Poojary (26), a member of the Hindu Jagarana Vedike's Nairkode unit in Perdur.

Poojary had allegedly been relentlessly harassing the young woman, pressuring her to marry him. When she bravely stood up to him and refused his demands, she filed a formal complaint at the Hiriyadka police station. He was subsequently arrested in that initial harassment case but was later granted bail.

According to police reports, driven by the same malicious grudge, Poojary allegedly intercepted the woman again on November 29. While she was walking through a deserted area, the accused is claimed to have threatened her by grabbing her neck. When she again refused to marry him, he allegedly proceeded to rape her.

The survivor immediately informed her family about the traumatic assault. Following this, her parents lodged a complaint at the Udupi women’s police station.

Police arrested Poojary again and produced him before the court. He has since been remanded to judicial custody.

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News Network
December 5,2025

Mangaluru: In a significant step to curb online hate and intimidation, Mangaluru City Police have registered a suo motu case against multiple Instagram accounts accused of circulating alleged provocative and threatening content.

While monitoring social media activity on Tuesday, Kankanady Town PSI Anitha Nikkam identified the Instagram handle ‘team_targetttt_900’ for posting a hate message alongside images of lethal weapons. Another account, ‘team_nagara_900’, allegedly shared a threatening post targeting activist Bharath Kumdelu, tagging additional pages such as KARAVALI-OFFICIAL.

Several other accounts — including ‘immu_bhai.fan’, ‘target_boy_900’, ‘kings_of_manglore’, ‘team_target_boys.900’, ‘arshad_mangalore’, ‘target_ka19_ullal’, ‘team_target__’, ‘troll_tigersz_900’, ‘tr_group_900’, and ‘team_target_900’ — are also under scrutiny for spreading similar inflammatory material, police said.

Authorities have urged citizens, especially young social media users, to report suspicious pages and avoid engaging with groups that glorify violence or threaten individuals. Online hate can quickly escalate into real-world harm, and police stress that sharing or promoting such content can attract legal consequences.

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