Prez visits "Go Green" sand sculpture at Puri beach

Puri, Sept 7: President Pranab Mukherjee praised a massive sand sculpture of lord Ganesh made by eminent sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik on the Puri beach here.

"I am happy and overwhelmed that the President kept his promise to visit our sand art in Puri beach," said eminent sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik, who called upon the first citizen of the country last month in Delhi.

Sudarshan created a big sand sculpture of lord Ganesh with the message "Go Green", where he showed the effect of global warming. Pattnaik used 100 tons of sand and took about 10 hours.

Students of his sand art institute joins hand with him to complete the sculpture. During a conversation, Pattnaik apprised the President yesterday about the history of sand art and told him about 14th century's Balaram Das, the great poet and devotee of Jagannath, is the pioneer of sand art in India.

Pattnaik also presented a sand sculpture photograph of Lord Jagannath to the President. President Pranab Mukherjee is on a two-day visit to Odisha beginning yesterday. So far Pattnaik has participated in more than 50 International sand art championships and festivals around the World and won many prizes.

PTI