After facing criticism over poor resemblance, Devaraj Urs’ statue in Mysuru replaced

The statue of former Chief Minister D. Devaraj Urs at the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Siddharthanagar in Mysuru was replaced on Thursday with a new sculpture crafted by renowned sculptor Arun Yogiraj.

The previous statue, unveiled on November 3 last year by former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, had drawn widespread criticism for bearing little resemblance to the prominent backward classes leader. Members of the public and elected representatives had expressed disappointment over the statue — reportedly commissioned at a cost of ₹92 lakh — for failing to accurately capture the late leader’s facial features.

Mysuru MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar and BJP MLC A.H. Vishwanath were among the prominent leaders who had favoured the replacement of the statue with a more precise representation.

Arun Yogiraj, a Mysuru-based sculptor who shot to national fame after his Ram Lalla idol was selected for the Ayodhya temple, told reporters that the Nirmithi Kendra entrusted him with the project about six months ago.

Mr. Yogiraj said he began working on the piece after his initial model received official approval. He used the same variety of black stone (Krishna Shila) that he used for the Ayodhya idol.

Reflecting on the creative process, Mr. Yogiraj noted that replicating Urs’ resemblance required extensive research. “Devaraj Urs was a wrestler, so it was essential to study his physique, muscle structure, and facial features closely,” he said.

The sculptor added that capturing real-world personalities is significantly more challenging than carving figures of deities. “Sculpting personalities demands a rigorous study of their physical traits. In foreign countries, statues of prominent personalities are often carved during their lifetime, which makes the process much easier. After their death, we must rely entirely on photographs taken from various angles as our sole reference point,” Yogiraj explained.

Meanwhile, the operation to swap the monuments was met with a minor hitch; the original statue sustained damage while being lifted from its pedestal by a crane on Thursday.