Sudarsan Pattnaik

Some Lesser Known Facts About Sudarsan Pattnaik

• Sudarsan Pattnaik was born into a low-income family in Puri, Odisha. He had to leave his studies mid-way due to lack of funds.

• When Sudarsan was 7 years old, he started drawing sculptures on the sand; because he loved drawing and colouring. In an interview, he revealed that due to poor financial conditions, he could not afford colours, pencils, papers, etc. So he made Puri Beach his canvas and created wonders on it.

• In his childhood, he used to work as a labourer in his neighbour’s house to contribute to his family’s income.

• Sudarsan Pattnaik became an International sand artist who has represented India at 50 international Sand Sculpture championships out of which he has won 27 for the country.

• He won the World champion title at USF World sand sculpture championship, Berlin in 2008.

• In 2010, at the 3rd Moscow World sand sculpture championship, Pattnaik won the gold medal in People Choice Awards.

• In 2011, he stood first at Denmark International Sand competition and also bagged a double gold medal at Solo International sand art contest in Mervala in 2012.

• In 2016 he bagged a gold medal in Russia and also got people’s choice prize in Bulgaria in the same year.

• He also made a record of winning the people choice award at Germany, 5 times in a row.

• From 1994, Pattnaik has been providing training to the sand artist students through his open-air Sudarsan Sand Art Institute situated in Puri.

• He is also the author of the book, Sand Art.

• Sudarsan conducts workshops and training in various Fairs and Festivals in and around the countries to propagate the sand art.

• He has unremarkably created World Record at Puri beach in sand sculpture in the years: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2016 and made it to the Limca Book of World record.

• He became the Brand Ambassador of the International sand art festival of Odisha and the Brand Ambassador of the National Aluminum Company Limited (NALCO).

• In 2016, Pattnaik prayed for the speedy recovery of the Siachen braveheart Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad by making a sand sculpture at Puri beach. However, Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad who was buried under the snow for 6 days at Siachen, succumbed to his injuries after being admitted in the hospital.

  

• In 2017, Pattnaik made a Guinness World Record after he created world’s tallest sandcastle measuring 48 feet and 8 inches (14.84 meters) at the Puri beach.

  

• In 2018, when the news of the 12 children struck in Thailand’s cave was making rounds in the media, Pattnaik prayed for the boys and made a sand sculptor he created on the Puri Beach.

  

• He has many awards and achievements to his account including a gold medal in 10th Moscow sand sculpture championship in Russia 2017, a gold medal in People’s choice at World championship for sand sculpting Russe, Bulgaria 2016, a gold medal at the 12th International sand art competition at Saint Petersburg 2013, a double gold medal at Solo International sand art contest in Mervala 2012; one for most positive sculpture and another for the people choice.

• Here’s a video of Sudarasan Pattnaik’s sand art gallery and a little conversation with him.