On the occasion of International Yoga Day, Odisha-based famous sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik created a sand sculpture that is going viral on social media. The seven-feet sculpture has been created at the Puri beach.
The photo of the sand art has been shared by Mr Pattnaik on his official Twitter handle. It has received more than 12,000 likes and over 1,400 retweets.
The theme of the sculpture is Surya Namaskar - a sequence of 12 gracefully-linked asanas of yoga. At the centre of the sculpture is Prime Minister Narendra Modi performing Badhakonasana (butterfly pose).
A video posted by news agency ANI shows people gathering around the sculpture and celebrating International Yoga Day by practicing various asanas.
“Great art & great initiative,” said a user while another praised the sculpture by saying, “Great sand art sir.”
Mr Pattnaik was given the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2014 for his contribution in sand arts.
Thousands of yoga enthusiasts from across the world took part in mass yoga sessions on Tuesday to mark the 8th International Day of Yoga as the celebrations returned to an in-person format after over two years following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the Yoga Day celebrations in Mysuru on the premises of the 'Amba Vilas Palace'. "On the occasion of Yoga Day, I bow to Karnataka's cultural capital, and the land of spirituality and Yoga- Mysuru. Spiritual centres like Mysuru have nurtured the energy of Yoga for centuries; today that energy is giving direction for world health," he said.
Several public and private sector companies also held yoga sessions at their offices to promote the adoption of exercise in daily routines to stay fit and healthy.
The theme of the Day this year is "Yoga for humanity" and it signifies the role Yoga can play in overall physical, mental and spiritual well-being of the world.
