Sudharshan Patnaik, winner of several international awards, who has left his footprints on the sand globally with gigantic sand sculptures, shares a moment with Anita Iyer.

1. Tell us something about your childhood. Did you visit the beach often?
I was born in the coastal town of Puri in Orissa. It was a part of my routine to visit the Puri beach almost every day and I loved to play with the sand on the shore. Like every child I used to like making sand castles and later I began making small idols of gods and goddess using my imagination. I soon realised I could do something better than this and popularise the vanishing art of sand art. This form of art has its root in the Orrisan myths and I wanted to revive sand art.

2. Could you throw some light on the Orrisan myth you are referring to?

Although it is not historically proved, it is believed that the origin of sand structures goes back to the time when poet Balaram Das, the author of Dandi Ramayan, was not allowed to climb the annual rath yatra chariot of Lord Jagannath. He was a great devotee of Lord Jagannath and as he wasn’t allowed to offer his prayers to the idol on the chariot, to release his frustration, he made a sand sculpture of the Lord on the beach. Lord Jagannath was so pleased with his devotion that the original statue from the chariot disappeared and the sand structure was transformed into a real idol. So, it is since then that sand statues are made in Puri beach in Orrisa. The period that we are referring here was the 14th century A.D., so the origin of sand art can be traced a few centuries back.

3. How did you develop this art form?

Whenever I used to go to the beach during my teenage days, I would end up making sand statues from the golden sand. There was no limit for my imagination and I loved making structures on the huge sand canvas. There was a constant urge within me to give this diminishing art an international exposure.

4. Could you explain the process of making sand sculptors?

To make any sand sculpture, the basic raw materials required are fine sand and water. The sand sculptures are made on the shores of the beach where there is flow of water. A sketch is drawn beforehand and at least 15-20 people are required to make a huge statue. Often, a few adjustments need to be made in the original sketch, as sand cannot always be moulded the way we want. In case of coloured statues like Santa Claus made for Christmas, sand is mixed with colours and it is a tedious process, which takes about a month.

5. Tell us about the Golden Sand Art Institute at Puri beach.

Golden Sand Art Institute is an open-air institute on Puri Beach started by me in 1994-95. I started this institute with the aim of developing sand art as a professional art form. There are about 70 students now learning the art of sand sculpture under me in this institute. It is also due to the boom in tourism that this art form has received international exposure and many tourists who travel to India also desire to learn the art of making sand statues.

6. How different is it to create sand sculptures on the beaches of India and abroad?

Internationally, people are more curious to know the technique of making sand statues. Initially, they were amazed by the concept but now that they are aware of it they come forward to learn the art. In our country, there are many people who are involved in making sand sculptures now so the curiosity is fading but hundreds of people do flock to have a look at the art.

7. All the themes you pick up are sensitive. What is your message to the world?

I do believe that sand art can be a powerful medium to convey any message. I have worked on themes like wildlife, terrorism, creating awareness about HIV AIDS, and world peace. As a part of our sand institute, we make a new statue each day with themes on current affairs. Just recently, following the racism controversy in cricket, we made an innovative piece on it.

8. You have won many international awards...

It feels great to have represented India in all these international competitions. Receiving all this fame makes me think that I have finally achieved what I wanted - to popularise this art form. About a decade back, there weren’t many sand artists, but today I can proudly say that there are more than 1,000 artists in India who are taking up this art form as a serious profession.

9. What do you aim to do further now?

My aim is to create awareness and enthusiasm among the people. Whenever, I travel abroad, I hold workshops and demonstrations to educate the people there. I wish to include sand art as a regular curriculum in the schools of art and culture.