Bengaluru: Two idols of Lord Ram and one each of Luv and Kush have been dispatched from Kengeri on the outskirts of Bengaluru to Ayodhya and were presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath presented the one-and-half-feel tall statues to PM Modi after the foundation stone ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya today. Another three-feet-tall idol crafted by artist Ramamurthy will be placed on the temple’s premises. “I am delighted to be part of this historic occasion,” said Ramamurthy.

The idols have been crafted out of teak and they show a confluence of Chola art and other popular forms from southern India. The idol of Lord Ram is beautifully decorated with ornaments and various kinds of cloth. Kodand, or bow and arrow, makes the idol even more attractive.

“I have crafted it from the core of my heart. It has given me enormous pleasure,” said Ramamurthy, who got the order for the idols some months ago. Ramamurthy was given a national award by the President for his craftsmanship in 2015-16 for a 7.5-feet idol of Lord Ram.

This idol was bought by a research institute in Ayodhya from the Karnataka Handicraft Development Corporation in 2017 for approximately Rs. 32 lakh. 

Adityanath, who liked this idol, made the Uttar Pradesh Government to place orders with Ramamurthy.