Among the many artists who will contribute to the grandeur of the proposed Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is Ranjit Mandal.
Mandal, a resident of Silchar, was handpicked by late Ashok Singhal, then working president of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).
“He came to unveil an idol of Ved Vyas in Assam in 1997 and asked me to join him”, remembers Mandal.
After many years of creating all manner of sculptures for different functions organized by the VHP and the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), in 2006 Mandal was given his biggest responsibility—to craft the idols for the Ram Katha Kunj. This is to be an exhibition gallery at the Ram Mandir and will depict, through sculptures, the various phases of Lord Ram’s life—from when his father performed the yagya to beget a son to his coronation in Ayodhya.
When spotted by Singhal, Mandal was not a trained sculptor. He says, “As a child I loved to play with mud and create little statues. My talent is God’s gift”.
Mandal, with his father Narayan Chandra, has been crafting these idols since 2013. A total of 125 scenes from Lord Ram’s life will be depicted. Each scene will have three to seven characters. The work has reached the stage which depicts the abduction of Sita by Raavan.
Steel wire and mesh is used to create the frame for each idol and then fortified cement is poured into it. No moulds are used anywhere as per Singhal’s directive.
At first glance, it appears the facial features of most figures are the same. But a careful viewing reveals subtle differences. “Look at the eyes, noses, hairlines,” prompts Mandal.
His inspiration for the look of these idols comes from his childhood viewing of Ramleelas, his reading of the Valmiki Ramayan and a book given by Singhal as a reference material. In some cases, Mandal also visits places where various events depicted in the Ramayan occurred to deduce the most probable body posture from the space.
Narayan Chandra says, “Sometimes a certain look might come to us in dreams. It is like the Ramayan is imprinted in our souls."
The idols will be painted after they have been transported to the Ram Mandir where they will be installed as an encased exhibit. As an experiment, Ranjit has painted an idol of Hanuman that stands at the entrance of the workshop. That placement is symbolic of Hanuman’s position as the most devout of all Ram devotees and the eternal guardian to him. Another two sets—one that depicts the yagya and a second depicting the birth of the four brothers—have also been painted. Mandal tried out different kinds of colours for these. “The kind of paint used in vehicles seems to be the best. It has a vibrant shine and does not chip,” he says.
A final decision on the kind of colours to be used will be taken by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
Three years ago, Mandal completed a Masters Degree in drawing. He now wants to pursue a doctorate in Visual Arts.
Through the lockdown, procurement of material became a challenge and Mandal started working on a bust of Singhal, who he considers as his guru. “I do not know if this will be exhibited but I wanted to honour the man who made this possible for me,” he says.
During Singhal’s lifetime, there was a steady flow of the big names of the Ram Mandir movement into Mandal’s workshop that is covered by a tin roof. Over the years it has become quieter. Some weeks it is just the father and son, toiling through long hours in silence.
The one visit Mandal looks forward to is from the UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. He also wishes he would be commissioned to build a model of the new temple to gift to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Mandal is modest about his responsibilities. “There are far better artists than me. It is only by the grace of Ram ji that I am here”.