Sand artist Pattnaik to sculpt in Mumbai

Mumbai, Sep 29 (IANS) Globally renowned sand artist from Odisha, Sudarsan Pattnaik will create a masterpiece at Mumbai's Juhu Beach on Saturday to mark the end of the state's 'Nirmal Sagar Tat Abhiyaan' (NSTA), an official said here on Thursday.

Pattnaik, 39, is currently in Mumbai after travelling the coastal Konkan region as the brand ambassador of Maharashtra Maritime Board's NSTA.

Sharing his experiences with the media, Pattnaik said he has been inspired by Mahatma Gandhi - whose 147th birth anniversary falls on Sunday - for spreading the message of world peace.

"Maharashtra's coastline is so beautiful with many picturesque beaches. Through my sand sculptures, I am trying to convey a message that there is so much sand in art and it is important to keep our beaches always clean," Pattnaik said on the occasion when his documentary film, 'Sand Says Something' was released by Films Division.

He launched his campaign in the state with a cleaning up act at Versova Beach on September 18 which will conclude on Sunday and in between he sculpted a sand tribute on a Ratnagiri beach to Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar on her 87th birthday on Wednesday.

Emphasising the objective of making the state's beaches clean, less polluted and more tourist-friendly, Pattnaik urged other coastal states including Odisha to initiate similar campaigns.

Having humble beginnings, Pattnaik carved a niche for himself in the sand art form and has bagged many national and international honours and awards.

Honoured with a Padma Shri in 2014, he bagged the gold medal at the International Sand Art Competition in Moscow earlier this year for a creation on 'Mahatma Gandhi - World Peace'.

Last fortnight, he paid a tribute in sand to the Uri martyrs and earlier this month he hailed Mother Teresa's sainthood by a sculpture. His sand figure of Santa Claus in December 2015 entered the Limca Book of Records as the tallest sand sculpture in India.

He has been commissioned to create a special sand sculpture in Goa for the BRICS Summit this year representing the member-nations.

Pattnaik runs the Sudarsan Sand Art Institute in Puri where around 40 students learn the art of making sand creations from him.

The FD documentary, 'Sand Says Something' is directed by Manoranjan Badatya and traces the life and works of Pattnaik through interviews and stunning images of his sandy creations.