The United States has reportedly denied visas to Ram Lalla sculptor Arun Yogiraj and his family after keeping it pending for about two months. The Ram Lalla idol selected by Arun Yogiraj was chosen for the Ayodhya Ram temple in January this year. 

According to reports, Yogiraj and his family applied to attend the World Kannada Conference-2024, organized by the Association of Kannada Kootas of America in Richmond, Virginia. However, the US Embassy has not provided any explanation for rejecting their visa application.

Yogiraj, a sculptor from Mysuru, carved the ‘Ram Lalla’ idol that was consecrated in the newly constructed temple in Ayodhya earlier this year. As a fifth-generation sculptor, he was invited to the grand consecration ceremony in Ayodhya.

An MBA graduate from the University of Mysore, Arun Yogiraj initially trained for six months in the HR department of a private company. However, he later chose to follow his passion, leaving the corporate world to continue his family’s sculpting tradition.

Yogiraj has also created several notable sculptures, including a 12-foot-tall statue of Adi Shankaracharya in Kedarnath and a statue of Subhas Chandra Bose near India Gate in Delhi. Among his other works are the 21-foot Hanuman statue at Chunchanakatte in Mysore district, a 15-foot statue of Dr. B R Ambedkar, a white amritashila statue of Swami Ramakrishna Paramahamsa in Mysore, and a six-foot monolithic Nandi statue.