21-Mar-2009 136
A day after Sachin Tendulkar dedicated his 42nd Test century for the cause of tiger conservation project in India, internationally acclaimed sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik created 15-foot-long tiger at Puri beach to pay tribute to the legendary batsman.
The sand tiger held a 5-foot-long bat, which had carried a ‘Thanks Sachin’ message on it. Pattnaik used 15 tones of sand to create the sculpture, which coincided with India’s 10-wicket victory over New Zealand in the first Test at Hamilton today.
The artist and the students of Sudarsan Sand Art School needed seven hours to complete the sculpture.
‘‘Similipal reserve forest in Orissa is India’s biggest tiger habitat. I hope tiger would not be a paper tiger for the future generation in the country. I created the sand tiger to thank Sachin for his noble gesture,’’ said Pattnaik.
