Looking for new places to explore in Puri? About 10km from the heart of Puri, in Odisha’s Beleswar Patana village, is the Sudam Sand Art Museum, on the Puri-Konark Marine Drive. An oasis of art, creativity and skills, the museum is worth a visit
The museum is more of an art exhibition featuring masterpieces by Sudam Pradhan, an eminent sand sculptor of India. Speaking to My Kolkata, he said: 'I started this as a hobby, and now, it has become my profession. The museum is India's first sand art museum, and was built for people to come and see how we create this delicate art. Every installation is made out of sand, without any support in the back'
More than 40 sand art creations are exhibited in this open museum. Artist Sudam is the son of a farmer and his passion for sand sculpting began from the banks of the Jeera river in Bargarh, Odisha
In 2004, Sudam moved to Puri and started making sand sculptures at the Golden Beach, where on-lookers appreciated his work and took photographs. His talent took him to international platforms and after winning several awards, he opened his own museum in 2018
The museum is spread across 2.5 acre and features sand installations such as a 20-feet idol of the Buddha, a 22-feet sand castle and more
West Bengal finds a spot in his artistic collection with two sand installations. One features Durga Puja and the hand-pulled rickshaw of Kolkata, while the other is themed on West Bengal tourism
Maharashtra tourism is also featured – with sculptures showing Ganesh Chaturthi, Chattrapati Shivaji and the Gateway of India
The Konark Temple is re-created skillfully with intricate details
Sudam Pradhan also pays homage to APJ Abdul Kalam
The Taj Mahal, carved in sand, portrays Shah Jahan and Mumtaz
The Sudam Sand Art Museum is open every day from 7am to 8.30pm. The entry fee is Rs 40 for adults and Rs 30 for children. Photography is allowed inside the museum