US denies visa to Ayodhya Ram Lalla sculptor Arun Yogiraj

NEW DELHI: Arun Yogiraj, the man behind Ayodhya Ram Lalla idol, and his family were denied visas by the US, reports said. The sculptor had applied for a visa to attend the World Kannada Conference 2024 in Richmond, Virginia, but was denied by the officials.

The US Embassy has not yet revealed the reasons for rejecting the visa. Arun Yogiraj and his family expressed their dismay at the shocking decision. Arun Yogiraj is a native of Mysore and comes from a family of sculptors.

An MBA graduate from the University of Mysore, Arun trained for six months in the HR department of a private company. However, he decided to leave his job in the private sector to pursue his family tradition of sculpting. During this time, Arun engaged in yeoman’s work for sculpting the Ram Lalla idol in Ayodhya.

Ram Lalla is enshrined in the Garbhagriha (Shrikovil) on the ground floor of the temple complex. Prana Pratishtha was held in Ayodhya last January.