To commemorate the Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's 75th birthday, pastry chef Rakesh Kumar Sahu from Begunia of Khordha created a spectacular chocolate sculpture weighing around 72 kg.
The 32-year-old Sahu who runs an institute of baking and pastry art at Tanka Pani Road, took 15 days to complete the sculpture with the help of six of his students.
An avid sports enthusiast, Mr Sahu said he came up with the idea to create the sculpture as a tribute to Patnaik for his steadfast support for Indian Hockey over the last several years, which resulted in a spectacular performance by the Men's and Women's National Teams in the recently concluded Tokyo Olympic Games 2020.
"I was celebrating the bronze medal win just like the rest of the country when it struck me that I should do something special for our Chief Minister who stood by the National Hockey Teams like a rock during its lowest phase," Mr Sahu said.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's 75th Birthday: The chocolate sculpture weighs around 72 kg.
The sculpture creating team faced several obstacles over the course of creating the sculpture for more than two weeks such as sleepless nights due to temperature variation and changes in moisture levels in their workshop, the Chef said.
He further added that their hard work ultimately paid off when the final sculpture turned out to be just as they had envisioned.
The team was overjoyed when the chocolate sculpture was finally unveiled by the state's Sports Minister Tusharkanti Behera in Kalinga Hockey Stadium on Chief Minister's birthday on Saturday.
Sports Department has decided to distribute the chocolate used to prepare the sculpture among disadvantaged children in adjoining areas after the completion of its exhibition period.
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