Odisha Artist Crafts Lord Ram’s Image with 1 Lakh Rice Granules; People Throng to Worship Art
By : Akshaya Kumar Sahoo
Update: 2024-01-21 15:43 GMT
Bhubaneswar: As the air of devotion and spirituality gripped the entire country on the eve of the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla at Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir, an artist in Odisha’s Bolangir district tried to add to further fervor to the already spiritually-charged atmosphere by crafting an image of Lord Ram by using raw rice granules.
The artist, named Sachidananda Nayak, a resident of Gandhinagar in Bolangir town, - crafted the image with over 1 lakh rice granules.
Raw rice, locally called Arua Chaula, is considered auspicious and used in puja rituals.
Nayak coloured different parts of the image with diverse shades.
The artist depicted Lord Ram as a warrior. The cloth of the image was painted saffron while the body was coloured blue.
The artist depicted Lord Ram as a warrior. The cloth of the image was painted saffron while the body was coloured blue.
The image of Lord Ram is seen holding a bow in the left arm and an arrow in the right hand. A quiver is seen slinging across the shoulder.
“I used of 1, 53, 364 pieces of Arua Chula to make the image. This took eight days for me to draw the image on a plywood sheet. The granules were glued on the glossy surface of the board,” he added.
The artist further stated that he had an intention of sending the art to Ayodhya, but it was late by the time he completed it.
“It was completed on January 18. As it was too late, I could not send it,” he lamented, adding that he intends to donate the art to the Ram Mandir in Bolangir.
He also expressed his happiness over the construction of a magnificent temple for Lord Ram after a 500-year-long struggle.
He also expressed his happiness over the construction of a magnificent temple for Lord Ram after a 500-year-long struggle.
People dipped in devotion are seen coming in large numbers to Nayak’s house to worship the image. A devotee said, "We are happy to see the image of Maryada Purushottam Sri Ram in warrior attire. Taking a glimpse at the image, we feel as if the Lord is returning from the battle.”