Guwahati: Ranjit Mandal, a sculptor from Assam, has been carving out idols of Lord Ram, the protagonist of the ‘Ramayana’, in Ayodhya, the believed birthplace of the mythical hero. Now, he has finished assignments on the scenes of ‘Sita Haran’, one of the most important episodes in the Ramayana wherein the demon king Ravana abducts Sita, Lord Ram’s beloved. Mandal told mediapersons that each scene has 5-6 characters and sometimes, there are even more. Mandal has now been assigned to recreate the Ram Katha Kunj at Ram Mandir in Ajodhya.
According to reports, idols created by the master-sculptor shall be used during the upcoming Bhoomi Poojan ahead of the construction of the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya. The high-profile event shall be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 5. The artist, who hails from the remote Ramkrishna Pally at Assam’s Barak Valley, was assigned to create the Ram Katha Kunj at the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s working president Ashok Singhal.
Of stigma and negligence Mandal has been reportedly making idols related to incidents from the Hindu deity’s life at his workshop in the 67 acres Ram Mandir Parishar in Ayodhya.
Interestingly, the idols created by the Assam sculptor have to be created with the utmost finesse. “You need to reflect the expression of shy on Ram’s face when he first sees Sita,” he stated.
These statues are forever, Mandal states, adding that they are composed of mortar and iron rods, which make then strong and that they remain constant in the Ram Katha Kunj for a long period of time.
“Everyone knows Ramayana. There are films and a number of TV shows in the epic. We tried to ensure that we are doing justice to the emotions that are reflected in each and every scene,” says Mandal.
Singhal mentioned his plans of Ram Katha Kunj It was at the Hasta Shilpa Kala Convention 2006, in Silchar when and asked the Assam sculptor to involve himself in the ambitious project. Mandal had the experience of making 1,25,000 statues of Lord Ram, which were distributed throughout the country and 10 nations across the world by the VHP.
(The Sentinel)
