Other States - Orissa   

Unique skills of artist on display

KORAPUT: “It’s difficult to create art in sand collected from the river beds of Koraput district. But handling difficulties in the life gives a great pleasure to an artist”, said Balakrishna Sadangi , a sand artist from Kumuli village under Borigumma block of Koraput district.

He was in Koraput to exhibit his artistic skills before the huge audience celebrating Parab festival on Friday.

Moulding shapes on the sea sand is easier than the one being built on the river beds for the basic reason that the salinity of the sea sand helps the sand particles to stand by creating a firm bond among them. Balakrishna had been one of the students of the well-known sand artist in the State, Manmohan Mahapatro of Puri.

It took him three years to learn the art of sand sculpting. Later he joined Sanskrit.

After graduating in sand sculpting art, he never looked back. His sand sculptors have donned several Durga Puja pandals in Kolkotta and Parab festival in Koraput.

One of his tallest one was 12 feet Lord Shiva idol, he added.

Nowadays, he is also teaching sand sculpting to children in Kumuli. He says, “My students have come with me to help me in making these sand sculptors besides it would expose their latent talent. They find is delightful to assist their master in creating beautiful faces of tribal women on the sand collected from the nearby river.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Vigilance week ends
Driven out of the wild
Doing his bit for cyclone victims
Held on charge of smuggling ganja
Naveen faults mineral policy
Teachers’ stir turns violent
CPI(M) comes down heavily on State’s ‘anti-people’ policies
Trade union training camp begins
Police deployed at V-C’s residence
Unique skills of artist on display
Farm scientists see threat to foodgrains security
XIMB students roped in by big recruiters
Tourist resort to come up at Dakhinpur
For children
Welfare fund for weavers’ health cover
Interactive session
Under threat

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu