Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik calls on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan

New Delhi [India], April 17 (ANI): Renowned Indian sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan in the national capital on Thursday.
Earlier on April 5, Sudarsan Pattnaik was awarded "The Fred Darrington" in the United Kingdom for his contributions to the art form.
The first British Sand Master Award was presented during the Sandworld 2025 International Sand Art Festival held in Weymouth.
To mark the occasion, Pattnaik created a 10-foot-high sand sculpture of Lord Ganesha with the message "World Peace."

The award and medal were presented to Pattnaik by the Mayor of Weymouth, Jon Orell. Director of Sandworld, Mark Andersen, and co-founder David Hicks, were also present at the ceremony. Naorem J Singh, Minister (TNC and Culture) at the Indian High Commission in London, attended the event as well.
Pattnaik has participated in over 65 international sand sculpture championships and festivals worldwide, earning numerous accolades for his work.
Pattnaik is also a Padma Shri awardee, India's 4th highest civilian award. He runs a sand art school at Puri Beach in Odisha.
The Odisha sand artist has created awareness through his art on various social issues such as HIV, AIDS, global warming, stopping terrorism, reducing plastic pollution, COVID-19, and environment conservation, among others. (ANI)