By DeshGujarat News, Surendranagar/Ahmedabad, 12 July 2012

Thangadh based young sculpture artist Rajesh Muliya is known for his sand sculptures. Last year he also participated in international sand sculpture meet in Goa. But this time, Muliya has attempted something different. He has made a life size statue of Bab Ramdev using Silicon, glass and fiber. Muliya’s this latest work was visited and admired by Gujarat Pollution Control Board Chairman Mr. K.U.Mistry, well-known writer and artist Shri Shahbuddin Rathod, President of Ceramic Industries Association Shri Sureshbhai Sompura among others. Muliya’s this art work is presently on display at Ambavan farm in Thangadh in Surendranagar district. He will personally gift the statue to Baba Ramdev, most probably in August.

The story behind a statue

34-year-old Rajesh Muliya is basically a business man who looks after sales wing of his family-run company Apple Cera. For last many years, he makes sand sculptures for hobby.

Inspired by Madame Tussauds wax museum in London, he started making efforts to make a statue using silicon as main material. And the result is Baba Ramdev’s life size statue presented in the pictures here.

“I was always excited to make statues like Madam Tussauds. I searched on internet for hours and days, and tried to know more abuot the materials they use and techniques they apply at Madam Tussads,” Muliya said.

“Once I was satisfied with the details on materials used in Madam Tussauds, I initiated efforts for procurement. I live in a small town in Surendranagar district, therefore procurement of material was a big problem. Some material could be found in Rajkot, some in Ahmedabad, and some in Mumbai, so I did sourcing from these places,” Muliya further said.

When asked why he choose Baba Ramdev for making real-size statue, Muliya said, “I used to watch him on Astha TV channel, and I was impressed with his knowledge in variety of fields, be it Yoga or economics.When Baba Ramdev was on Bharat Swabhiman Yatra, and passed through Surendranagar, I approached him through Maheshwaribhai who leads Baba’s activities in Surendranagar district. I requested Baba and took his measurements within two-three minutes on the stage itself.”

“Baba was interacting with media persons, and at the same time I was taking measurements of his body using a common measure tape. If I had measurement instruments like artists in Madam Tussauds use, I could do better. Then on, I worked with the photographs of Baba Ramdev,” Muliya said.

“I look after sales in my family run company, and therefore I am very busy throughout the day, but I always managed to spend some time for the statue in night, and completed the task,” he said.

On his artistic background, Rajeshbhai said, “my grand father was potter in Parshuram ceramics. He used to make 9 statues of goddess Amba during nine-day-long Navratri festival in Thangadh. It’s a fifty-year-old story, and our family still makes nine different idols of Goddess Amba for each night of Navratri at Garbi mandal established by my uncle.”

When asked what would be the next subject, Muliya replied, “Morari Bapu.”

“With my experience in making Baba Ramdev’s statue, I would do much better while dealing with my next subject,” he added.

Muliya said he has already approached Morari Bapu’s team for taking Bapu’s measurements.