Sudarsan wins Berlin contest, creates record

Sand artist Sudarsan Patnaik has become the first Indian to win a world championship held in Berlin for his sculpture on global warming. His victory will see his name entering the record books again.

Patnaik, who figured in the Limca Book of Records in the 2006, 2007 and 2008 editions for his work, will also find place in the 2009 edition for winning the United Sand Festivals (USF) World Double Championship held on June 5.

"The Limca Book of Records editor Bijoya Ghosh told me about this in writing yesterday (Monday). My name will figure because I am the first Indian to win the championship," Patnaik told IANS Tuesday.

The 25-feet-high sculpture on global warming that fetched him the honour depicts a polar bear on top of a globe, praying for his family's safety.

Artists from 12 countries including Denmark, Germany, Britain, Spain, Japan, Italy and the US had taken part in the competition.

"In the past, my name figured in the Limca Book of Records as the first Indian to create a large number of sand sculptures, then for creating the world's biggest sand replica of Jesus Christ and the longest sand Santa Claus," Patnaik said.

The special edition of the Limca Book of Records published last year - "India Extraordinaire: 60 years, 60 luminaries" - described him as one of the people who have made India proud with their accomplishments.

Patnaik hails from Puri, 56 km from Bhubaneswar. He has participated in over 35 international sand sculpture championships and has won several awards.