Sudarsan Pattnaik Salutes Armed Forces with Sand Art on ‘Operation Sindoor’

Puri/New Delhi: Eminent sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik paid tribute to the Indian armed forces on Wednesday by crafting a powerful sand sculpture on Puri beach with the message: “Bharat Mata Ki Jai, Justice Served.” The artwork comes in response to the Indian military’s successful execution of ‘Operation Sindoor’, a precision strike targeting nine terrorist infrastructure sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The operation was launched in the early hours of Wednesday as a retaliatory move following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that claimed 26 civilian lives.

Pattnaik’s six-foot-high sculpture, made with around five tonnes of sand, depicted Sindoor transforming into a symbol of strength that annihilates enemies, symbolizing national resilience and justice. Students from his sand art institute also participated in building the massive structure.

“We salute the Indian Army and Air Force through our sand art,” Pattnaik said, dedicating the sculpture to the bravery of India’s armed forces.

Earlier in the day, Odisha conducted a large-scale civil defence mock drill across 12 strategic locations including Bhubaneswar, Rourkela, and Paradip. The exercise was part of a nationwide preparedness initiative by the Ministry of Home Affairs amid rising tensions with Pakistan. The drill tested emergency response capabilities from district headquarters to village panchayats, aiming to bolster civilian readiness in potential crisis scenarios.