Indian Sand Artist Sudarshan Bags Gold Medal In International Sand Sculpture Championship

Renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik on July 12, won the Golden Sand Master award at an international championship in Russia. The event, International Sand Sculpture Championship was organised from July 4-12 in St Petersburg at the iconic Peter and Paul Fortress. The world’s 21 master sculptors participated in the event.

About Sudarsan Pattnaik

Sudarsan Pattnaik (born 15 April 1977) is an Indian sand artist from Puri, Odisha. In 2014, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award, for his seashore sand arts.

His Achievement and awards

• He was awarded Padma Shri by Government of India, the Fourth Highest Civilian Award in India, in 2014 for his contribution in Sand Arts.
• People’s Choice Award at Sand Sculpting World Cup 2014 at Atlantic City, US.
• First Indian to win the Italian Sand Art Award, 2019, at the International Scorrano Sand Nativity event held in Lecce, Italy from 13 to 17 November.

His Creation

• Pattnaik had created a 12-foot sculpture depicting a chariot and Lord Jagannath with his devotee Balaram Das, the famous Odia poet of the 14th century.
• Dream to create a sand sculpture of Mahaprabhu Jagannath and founder of sand art Balaram Das on foreign land. The world-famous Rath Yatra is going on in Puri.

Story behind inspiration

It is said that once during ‘Rath Yatra’, he tried to climb a chariot of Lord Jagannath to offer prayers. When denied, Das came to a beach and carved Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra on the golden sand and started worshipping. His devotion was so strong that the deities vanished from the chariot and appeared at the place where Das was worshipping,” he said. Meanwhile, the Indian embassy in Moscow congratulated Pattnaik on the achievement.

Padma Shri awardee

Pattnaik, a Padma Shri awardee, has participated in more than 65 international sand art championships and festivals around the world and won accolades for the country. His sand arts try to convey different social messages.