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A tribute to first citizen

Major draw: Murali Chemmad’s portrait of the first citizen in sand invited many curious onlookers.

TIRURANGADI: Murali Chemmad, a coconut tree climber, made the assumption of Pratibha Patil to the office of President a memorable event for the people of Tirurangadi by creating a portrait of the first citizen in sand. The portrait invited many curious onlookers.

Mr. Murali said it was his tribute to the new President of the country. He has paid similar tributes to many other national leaders, including A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Mahatma Gandhi, Ravindranath Tagore, and Swami Vivekananda.

His sketches of Yassar Arafat and Saddam Hussein have won him praise from different sections of the society. He had paid artistic tributes to the tsunami victims, actress Sreevidya and writer O.V. Vijayan.

Mr. Murali is known for his selection of odd materials as background for making sketches.

He made a sketch of Pope John Paul II using a semi-ripe papaya when the Pope died a few years ago.

Mr. Murali makes sculptures using different kinds of vegetable and waste material. He also uses clay, cement, and wax for sculpting.

He has a large collection of curios in his private museum. He has conducted exhibitions at neighbouring schools.

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