Vitla's Chidananda Acharya helped sculpt Sri Ram Lalla Idol in Ayodhya

Vitla: A sculptor from the town was part of the team that carved the Ram Lalla idol at Ayodhya. Chidananda Acharya, hailing from Ukkuda Kallurtiyadka near Vitla, worked with Mysuru-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj and his team and contributed to the carving of the idol set to be installed in the sanctum sanctorum.

The team, consisting of 12 members, including 8 from Mysuru and the rest from Dakshina Kannada and Kolar, was involved in the sculpting of the Ramlalla idol. Four months ago, Arun Yogiraj sought Chidananda’s expertise for this significant project, leading him to Ayodhya along with Sumanth Acharya of Puttur, Umamaheswar of Kolar, and Narayana Acharya.

Three separate teams were each tasked with carving the idol independently. A committee chose the best idol among them for installation in the temple. One team opted for Amritashila, while Mysuru and Uttara Kannada teams chose Krishnashila. Working in isolation, none of the teams saw the progress or the design of the others, Chidanada said.

The Arun Yogiraj team, in which Chidananda Acharya was involved, completed the carving in an impressive 72 days, starting from September 11. Throughout this period, the team enjoyed security, quality food, and comfortable accommodation, ensuring a smooth workflow, Chidananda added.

Chidananda Acharya, born to Gopala Acharya and Pushpavati of Alike village, completed his education up to PUC at Sathya Sai Institute. His journey into sculpture began with a year and a half of study at Canara Bank CE Kamath Institute in Karkala.

Subsequently, Chidananda immersed himself in the art, dedicating a decade to studying sculpture at Dr. G Jnananda’s Brahmashree Shilpa Gurukula in Chikkaballapur. Further refining his skills, he spent three years specializing in statue sculpture and four years in temple sculpture at the Sampradyika Shilpa Gurukula in Mallathahalli, Bengaluru. For the past eight years, Chidananda has been serving as a guru in the same gurukula, contributing his expertise to the preservation and dissemination of traditional sculpting knowledge.

Chidananda is the first in his family to be a sculptor. His father, the late Gopala Acharya, was a tailor, and his uncle did wood carving.