Indian Sand Artist Sudarsan Pattnaik Wins Golden Sand Master Award in Russia

Renowned Indian sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has won the Golden Sand Master Award at the International Sand Sculpture Championship held in St. Petersburg, Russia. Pattnaik created a 12-foot sand sculpture of a chariot carrying Lord Jagannath and his devotee Balaram Das, a 14th-century poet.

The championship, held from July 4-12, had a theme of history, mythology, and fairy tales. A total of 21 master sand sculptors from around the world participated, with Pattnaik being the sole participant from India. The Indian Embassy in Russia extended their congratulations to Pattnaik for his win.

Balaram Das, the author of ‘Dandi Ramayan,’ was a great devotee of Lord Jagannath in the 14th century. According to legend, when Balaram Das was not allowed to offer his prayers during the Rath Yatra festival, he carved statues of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra on the beach and began worshipping them. His devotion was so strong that the original statues vanished from the chariot and appeared where Balaram Das was worshipping.

Pattnaik expressed his joy, saying, “I had a dream to create a sand sculpture of Mahaprabhu Jagannath and the founder of sand art Balaram Das, at a foreign land. The world-famous Ratha Yatra is going on in Puri, Odisha. So, with the blessings of Mahaprabhu, I have created a sand chariot of Mahaprabhu Jagannath during this festival.”

The Padma Shri awarded artist has participated in over 65 international sand art championships and festivals around the world, winning many prizes for the country. He aims to spread social messages through his sand art globally.