Renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik created a colourful sand sculputre of Lord Ram holding a diya with the message 'Happy Diwali' at Odisha's Puri beach on the occasion of the festival being celebrated across the nation.
People at the beach took photographs with the piece of art. A video from the beach showed Pattnaik giving final touches to the magnificient work of his.
This is not the first time Pattnaik has wowed crowds with his work. He is known to pick up on occasions and give them a touch of his own interpretation, dedicating a sand art. He has created and dedicated a sand sculpture of various Hindu gods and goddesses on several occasions.
Diwali is observed on Amavasya (or the new moon), the 15th day of the month of Kartik, every year. This year, Diwali will be celebrated on November 12.
The renowned sand artist was quoted by ANI in sharing his best wishes for Diwali to the people of the country.
"On the occasion of Diwali, we created the biggest Diya on the sand with a message of Happy Diwali. We wish the people of the country a happy Diwali. We have also installed Diyas and created the sculpture of Lord Ram here. The Ram temple in Ayodhya is going to be inaugurated after Diwali," Sudarshan told ANI.
It is pertinent to note that the Supreme Court's verdict in 2019 on the Ayodhya dispute paved the way for the construction of a grand Ram temple. Following the apex court verdict, the Centre set up Shri Ram Janma Bhoomi Tirtha Kshetra' Trust to take all decisions regarding the construction of a magnificent Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
The construction of the temple has been progressing at a steady pace under the supervision of the Trust. The idol of Ram Lalla will be in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Ayodhya and participate in the consecration ceremony on January 22, 2024. The letter was sent by the Trust to PM Modi and he has accepted the invitation.
The consecration ceremony is scheduled for January 22, and it was finalized after a meeting between the Shri Ram Janambhoomi Trust and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
PM Modi will visit Ayodhya on January 22, 2024, to perform Ram Lalla's pran pratishtha. The foundation stone for the construction of the Ram Temple was laid by PM Modi on August 5, 2020.
