As all eyes turn to Ayodhya on January 22, Sunil Kandalloor, 52, laments the ‘bureaucratic and legal delays’ that have impacted his project. Despite the ongoing construction, coinciding with the inauguration of the Ram Temple, Kandalloor remains optimistic. The first phase of his ambitious fourth wax sculpture museum is anticipated to be completed by April-May this year, providing a glimmer of excitement amid the challenges.
With about 100 life-size wax statues of Rama, Sita, Hanuman, and other important characters from Ramayana, the first phase of the project will showcase 30-35 scenes from Ram Katha, including moments like Sita’s Swayamvar, Vanvaas, and Lanka Dahan. The museum will be called Ramayan Wax Museum, Sunil said.
Sunil bagged the Rs 7-crore museum project in last April and construction is in full swing on the allotted 2.5 acres by the Ayodhya Municipal Corporation.
“We applied for the museum tender and turned out to be the only applicant. So the government floated a second tender. Again, we were the sole applicants. It seems we are really the only people in the country with the kind of expertise this museum needs,” says Sunil .
With an impressive track record, Sunil’s wax museums in Kanyakumari, Thekkady, and Lonavala are renowned for their 170 life-size celebrity statues, including figures like Sharad Pawar, Anna Hazare, Bal Thackeray, M G Ramachandran, Rajnikant, Sachin Tendulkar, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
As per the media report Sunil’s brother, Subhash, mentioned creating Modi’s statue in 2013 when he was Gujarat’s Chief Minister. The upcoming Ayodhya museum’s first phase, focusing on Ram Katha, costs Rs 5 crore of the total Rs 7 crore budget. Besides the five artists crafting statues, 20-25 people are contributing to other museum features. Future plans include sections on Krishna Katha and possibly additional celebrity statues, parks, and restaurants.
Sunil extensively researched various books, scriptures, and Ayodhya’s surroundings to gather references for the statues, focusing particularly on Rama. Spending months in Ayodhya, he observed images of Lord Rama, Laxman, Sita, and Hanuman, contributing to his research. Utilizing advanced silicon resembling human skin, Sunil employs materials like wax and fiberglass for lifelike sculptures. The statues depict diverse expressions and actions of characters such as Rama walking into the forest, playing with his twins, and engaging in war against Ravana. The use of innovative materials enhances the realism of the sculptures.