KalingaTimes Correspondent
Puri(Odisha), July 18: Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik on Friday carved a sand sculpture on the Puri beach to pay tributes to the 17 policemen who were killed in the Maoist attack in Malkangiri district on Wednesday.

The sculpture depicted the damaged anti-landmine vehicle and bodies of the policemen who were killed in the landmine blast that the Left wing extremists triggered in MV-126 village on Malkangiri. Hundreds of people gathered to see the moving piece of art and pay their respect to the victim policemen.

Governor Syed Sibte Razi also visited the place to see the sculpture and paid tributes to the police personnel who were killed in the landmine blast.

Pattnaik took five hours and used seven tonnes of sand to create the sculpture. Students of my Golden Sand Art Institute joined him in completing the creation.

Through his art, Pattnaik also highlighted the plight of tsunami and earthquake victims.

Pattnaik has so far participated in more than 38 international sand sculpture championships across the world and won many awards for the country.

For his work, Pattnaik was felicitated by the Odisha Lalit Kala Akademi in Bhubaneswar on Thursday.