Arun Yogiraj, Who Sculpted Kedarnath Shankara, To Carve Netaji Statue In Delhi

Sculptor Arun Yogiraj present a 2 feet replica to PM Modi, which is when the PM gave his approval for the design. Yogiraj will specifically work on the facial features.

New Delhi: The Mysuru-based sculptor, Arun Yogiraj who will carve the statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose will reach New Delhi on today, June 1, according to news agency IANS. The sculpture will be installed at India Gate under the grand canopy. Ahead of Bose’s 125th birth anniversary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced to install a statue made of granite at India Gate. 

"At a time when the entire nation is marking the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, I am glad to share that his grand statue made of granite will be installed at India Gate. This would be a symbol of India's indebtedness to him," Modi had said as reported by IANS.

The Prime Minister added, "Till the grand statue of Netaji Bose is completed, his hologram statue will be present at the same place. I will unveil the hologram statue on January 23, which is Netaji's birth anniversary."

The report stated that on April 5, PM Modi received a 2-feet replica of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose from Yogiraj. Thereafter, Modi gave his approval of Yogiraj's design of the statue. Yogiraj will specifically carve the facial features of the statue, the work will likely be done by August 15.

The Prime Minister had tweeted: "Glad to have met @yogiraj_arun today. Grateful to him for sharing this exceptional sculpture of Netaji Bose."

This is not the first statue Yogiraj will be carving for the PM, late last year, Yogiraj also carved the 12-feet statue of Adi Shankaracharya at Kedarnath, unveiled by the Prime Minister in 2021.

Bose’s statue will be installed under the grand canopy behind the erstwhile Amar Jawan Jyoti. The canopy had a statue of King George V, which was removed in 1968.

A large granite stone has been selected and brought from Telangana for the statue to Delhi where the work will be done.

The design of the statue has been done by a team from the National Gallery of Modern Art under the Culture Ministry, headed by its Director-General Adwaita Gadanayak, IANS reported.