Sudarsan Pattnaik's sand art 'world peace' wins award in Russia

PURI: Renowned artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has won people's choice award for his sand sculpture made during an international championship in Russia.

The art -- 'Mahatma Gandhi sculpture for non-violence and peace' -- was created in the contest in Moscow in April this year. After the competition, an exhibition is being held there since then.

Pattnaik's sculpture has got 60,000 votes out of the total 80,000 votes from the visitors to the exhibition, according to a letter by the event's organiser Pavel Minilkov.

"It is a really a pride moment for me that my sculpture is liked by so many people," Pattnaik told PTI.

The week-long competition had started on April 21 at Kolomenskoye, Moscow, where 20 top sculptors from across the world had displayed their craft, he said.

Pattnaik has participated in more than 50 international sand sculpture championships across the world and won many awards for the country.

He was honoured with the country's fourth highest civilian award Padma Shri in 2014.

Pattnaik runs a sand art school at Puri beach in Odisha.