“I gave the Prime Minister a sand art photo of Lord Jagannath and the Srimandir which I had sculpted in the beach here today. Prior to this, I had presented him a sand art photo of Nabakalebara. It was a great honour for me when he said he knows me very well since long and always keeps track of my sand sculptures on current issues,” Patnaik told OTV.
He also said the Prime Minister invited him to Gujarat to provide sand art training to the youngsters there.
“He also proposed to me to set up a sand art training institute in Gujarat to which I agreed. I also proposed to him to set up a sand art park there and he assured me of considering my request sincerely,” Patnaik said.
India's renowned sand artist Sudarshan Pattnaik has created the sculptures of monuments of all five participating nations - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
The leaders visited the sculptures yesterday.
"It was a great honour when Prime Minister Narendra Modi explained the importance of all the monuments to the heads of the states. The leaders spent around ten minutes looking at the monuments and also clicked a group photograph," Pattnaik told PTI.
Pattnaik will be representing India in the contest where he will make sand art-- "Mahatma Gandhi sculpture for non-violence and peace".
The sand sculpture competition will be held from April 21 to 27 at Kolomenskoye, Moscow, Pattnaik said.
Including India, 20 top sculptors have been selected from different countries for the championship, he said.
"I am very happy to be selected for this championship. I will try to show through my sculpture how Gandhiji s non-violence theory will bring global peace," Pattnaik said.
He has participated in more than 50 international sand sculpture championships across the world and won many awards for the country.
He has also got the fourth highest civilian award Padma Shri in 2014. Pattnaik runs a sand art school at Puri beach in Odisha.
In a tweet message, Sudarsan has urged State Governments across the country to make the film tax free as it talks about the importance of toilets in homes and eradication of open defecation.
Akshay Kumar and Bhumi Pednekar starrer, Toilet Ek Prem Katha sheds light on the importance of hygiene and sanitation in rural areas. The movie hit the theatres across the country yesterday.
Pattnaik, who is also the brand ambassador of Swacch Bharat Mission’ in Odisha, had earlier created a sand sculpture ‘Use toilet, keep the environment clean’ at Puri beach this month which was much appreciated.
Even the entire crew of the Toilet: Ek Prem Katha had thanked Sudarsan for the sand art.
“Thank you for spreading our message so artistically,” said Akshay Kumar in a tweet.
Pattnaik said as the movie has a social message and stresses on the importance of use of toilets, it is necessary on part of the governments to promote it.
Besides, making the film tax free will ensure that more and more people come to theatres to watch the movie and go home with a pledge to keep the environment clean by putting a stop on open defecation, the sand artist feels.
Actress Bhumi Pednekar meanwhile has also thanked Sudarsan for his appeal that will certainly be helpful in spreading the social message to larger sections in the society.
The festival celebrated with much pomp and show every year has seen a dampener due to the Coronavirus pandemic this year. Pandals and shops which usually blossom with people are empty due to government restrictions and social distancing obligations.
But the spirit for the festival still remains in the air as always. Despite the restrictions, the worship of the idols was carried out during the entire festive period without crowd in small congregations and at individual residencies by priests, following all the rituals and festivities in honour of the Goddess Durga.
The government has also made necessary arrangements for the idol immersion ceremony. In the capital city of Bhubaneswar itself, the BMC has prepared four artificial ponds near the Dayanadi and Kuakhai river each. These ponds have the capacity to hold up to 150 idol immersions which would help ease the process and help the devotees bid an appropriate farewell to the Goddess. Similarly in the city of Cuttack, 14 temporary ponds have been constructed near Kathjodi, Mahanadi bank and Debigada area.
Today also marks the occasion of Raja Rejeshwar Besha or Suna Besha of Lord Jagannath at Puri Srimandir. It is one of the rare days in a year when the deities are adorned with gold ornaments. This year due to the pandemic, the rituals were carried out without the presence of devotees in alignment with the pandemic regulations.
In addition to the usual festivities, renowned sand artist, Sudarshan Pattnaik too has created another enthralling piece of sand art symbolizing the fierce but loving Goddess.
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