Ram Lalla sculptor Arun Yogiraj denied US visa for World Kannada Conference

New Delhi

Arun Yogiraj, the celebrated Indian sculptor known for carving the Ram Lalla idol installed at the newly constructed grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, has been denied a US visa, it emerged on Wednesday (August 14).

Yogiraj was scheduled to attend the 12th AKKA World Kannada Conference (WKC 2024) in Virginia, scheduled to be held between August 30 and September 1.

Yogiraj had received a formal invitation to the conference. The invitation letter praised his work, and stated: "Your remarkable contributions to the field of sculpture have caught our attention, and we believe that your artistic vision would greatly enrich our conference. Your work embodies the spirit of creativity and innovation, qualities that align perfectly with the objectives of our event."

Yogiraj’s family expressed surprise at the visa denial by the US authorities, as his wife, Vijeta, had previously travelled to the US without any issues. The family told media publications that the sole purpose of their trip was to attend the conference, after which they planned to return to India.

"I don’t know any reasons why it was denied, but we have submitted all the documents related to the visa," Yogiraj said.

Yogiraj's artistic journey began at a young age as he was inspired by his father and grandfather, both of whom were renowned sculptors.

Also watch | Arun Yogiraj speaks about inspiration behind idol of Lord Ram

After a brief stint in the corporate world, he returned to his passion for sculpting in 2008. In addition to the Ram Lalla idol, his notable works include a 30-foot statue of Subhash Chandra Bose near India Gate, a 12-foot sculpture of Adi Shankaracharya in Kedarnath, and a 21-foot Hanuman statue in Mysore.

Also read | Ram Lalla's eyes were sculpted in just 20 minutes, Arun Yogiraj tells WION

The AKKA World Kannada Conference is a biennial event that brings together the Kannada-speaking diaspora from North America and around the world. It aims to celebrate the community's achievements while preserving the Kannada language and culture for future generations. Previous conferences have been held in major cities such as Houston, Washington D.C., and Dallas.