The man who is giving shape to Ram's statue in Ayodhya

NEW DELHI: Nestled among the hundreds of automobile manufacturing units in Manesar on the outskirts of the national capital is an unusual site adorned with massive sculptures of political leaders and idols of gods and goddesses.
Matu Ram Art Centres is an art studio run by Naresh Kumar Kumawat, the man who is sculpting the 251-m tall statue of Lord Ram on the banks of Saryu River in Ayodhya. Once complete it will be the tallest statue in the world. The statue is made of casted bronze and will require three years to complete.
The design of the statue is based on principles Ram adhered to in his life.

"It has been conceived as an idol embodying Lord Ram’s ideals. It will be full of ideas with Ram’s life paving the way for coming generations. The statue will be an amalgamation of history being told in a contemporary style," Kumawat told TOI.
The statue is based on specific characteristics of Ajanubahu Ram — a description of Ram in Ramayan, which means a person with long arms reaching up to the knees.
Kumawat is a third-generation sculptor from Pilani, Rajasthan. He has built over a hundred sculptures of prominent personalities, leaders, and Hindu gods and goddesses around the world.
Kumawat believes that as an artist, a sculptor needs to "assimilate" with the object they are working on.
"To bring devine beauty on such figures one needs to assimilate yourself with the object for which you are working. Regular prayers and blessings of my Guru are the Mantra of my success. I always aim for perfection and quality in my work where my father, 74, still helps me and guides me," he says.

Outside India, Kumawat's work is spread across the globe, especially in North America. Statues designed by him can be found in Toronto, Calgary, Orlando, Trinidad, Surinam and Mauritius.
Kumawat has also designed several war memorial for the Indian Armed Forces.
He has also sculpted numerous stautes of martyrs. He intends to build more such statues.
Kumawat has to his name over 150 statues of Mahatma Gandhi each depicting the various moments from his life on his way to achieving Poorna Swaraj.
In the times of coronaviru pandemic, Kumawat is busy sculpting three statues of Corona Warriors — a doctor, a policeman and a sanitation worker.
"One of the appellations of Hanuman is sankatamochan (one who relieves you from trouble). That is the way most of us have appreciated all those who have come to our aid during the havoc caused by Covid-19," he added.