Capturing the ephemerality of sand art!

The International Sand Art Festival is perhaps, one of the most awaited and celebrated festivals in India because of the talent and the recognition it has received. The sand festival is a beautiful celebration of the art and the artists as people far from Mexico, Spain and Chicago, France, Norway, participate in it and experience this artistic heaven for themselves. The festival is not only a great opportunity for the young talent to present their art but is also a very conscious, and a beautiful amalgamation of the traditional sand sculptures with comparatively newer ways such as using wood, sandstones and bronze as a part of this creation. With this exuberating and a novice artistic mélange of the new and the traditional, the Sand art festival has expanded and challenged its own boundaries.

The International Sand Art Festival began in 2015 on the Chandrabhaga Beach of India, the very famous sand artists and a receiver of the Padma Shri, Sudarsan Pattnaik is the brand ambassador of this event. The beach is at a short distance from Konark; initially, it was a part of the Konark dance festival. The Konark sun temple, the dance festival and the International Sand Art festival together have now emerged as a major tourist attraction in recent years. The artists with the best artwork are presented with prize money of INR 100,000. The event is organized by the Odisha tourist Department and is a beautiful sight to behold. Talented and enthusiastic sand artists have been coming and showcasing their talents for good 5-6 years. At most 30 Indians participate in this festival and 10 to 15 foreigners also take part in this competition.

Since the place is quite near to Konark, so people usually take the route further from Konark. The air, road and railway connectivity is quite easy.

The Biju Pattnaik airport at Bhubaneswar is the nearest airport to reach Konark. It is approximately 64 km away from the coastal town. The domestic participants might get through the connected flights, but international participants would have to get a flight from Kolkata or Delhi.

The train services are readily available for Konark, it is connected by Puri station in Odisha. The railway station is around 31 kms from the coastal town.

It’s quite easy to reach Konark, via buses or hired cars as well, state-owned buses and private taxi centers would take you through the well-directed roads.

Well, at the beach, near the shore, with water all around and artists creating art out of the fleeting moments of the sand is a sight that might not only soothe all your senses but also be a remarkable moment of your lifetime.