Puri Beach came alive with devotion and art on the occasion of Janmashtami 2026, as internationally acclaimed sand artist and Padma Shri awardee Sudarsan Pattnaik unveiled a striking sand sculpture of Bal Gopal (Little Krishna).
Created on Thursday, the 8-foot-tall sculpture portrayed Lord Krishna in a serene and divine form and carried the festive message, “Happy Janmashtami.”
Bal Gopal sculpture captures Krishna’s childhood
The sand artwork depicted Bal Gopal with his iconic flute, a large makhan handi and a cow resting beside him.
Adding to the festive appeal were 101 miniature makhan handis, symbolising the playful childhood stories associated with Lord Krishna and his love for butter and curd.
The sculpture was created with the support of students from the Sudarsan Sand Art Institute. The artwork aimed to reflect the cultural and spiritual significance of Janmashtami while bringing alive the cherished tales of Krishna’s childhood in Gokul.
Sudarsan Pattnaik extends Janmashtami wishes
While unveiling the artwork, Pattnaik extended his wishes to devotees celebrating Janmashtami.
He prayed for Lord Krishna to bless everyone with peace, happiness, good health and prosperity, adding that the divine presence of Bal Gopal should bring love, compassion, positivity and harmony into people’s lives.
The unique artwork soon became an attraction for tourists and visitors at Puri Beach, who gathered to admire the devotional creation.
Manas Sahu creates Krishna sand animation
Meanwhile, international sand artist Manas Sahu marked Janmashtami with a different form of sand art.
Sahu created a sand animation depicting Lord Krishna to extend festive greetings. According to reports, the animation took approximately one hour to create.
The artistic tributes by Pattnaik and Sahu added a creative dimension to Janmashtami celebrations in Puri, blending Odisha’s renowned sand-art tradition with devotion to Lord Krishna.
