Tribute To Thiruvalluvar: Sudarsan Pattnaik Creates Unique Sculpture With Sands From Triveni Sangam

To create the sculpture, Sudarsan Pattnaik used sands collected from Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal, and Arabian Sea to honour the celebrated Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar.

Kanyakumari: Post inauguration of the three-day silver jubilee celebrations of the iconic Thiruvalluvar statue (Statue of Wisdom) at Kanyakumari on Monday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin paid a visit to an extraordinary sand sculpture created by renowned artist Padma Shri Sudarsan Pattnaik.

The sand art, sculpted on the Kanyakumari beach, is a fitting tribute to Thiruvalluvar, also known as Valluvar, who was a well-known Tamil philosopher and poet.

Sudasan Pattnaik used sand from the Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal, and Arabian Sea (Triveni Sangam) to sculpt this sand art. (X/Sudarsan Pattnaik)

What makes this sculpture truly special is Pattnaik used sands collected from the Triveni Sangam in Kanyakumari - confluence point of Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal, and Arabian Sea - to honour the celebrated Tamil poet. “This is my way of honouring Thiruvalluvar, using sands from the three seas - the Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal, and Arabian Sea,” the sand maestro expressed.

Standing tall beside the iconic Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari, the Thiruvalluvar Statue was sculpted by renowned artist V Ganapathi Sthapathi and inaugurated on January 1, 2000 by the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M Karunanidhi.

ஈராயிரம் ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன் திருக்குறள் தந்த அய்யன் வள்ளுவருக்கு புத்தாயிரம் ஆண்டின் தொடக்கத்தில் முத்தமிழறிஞர் கலைஞர் அவர்கள் குமரியில் வானுயர சிலை எழுப்பினார்கள்.

இதன் வெள்ளி விழாவைக் குறிக்கும் வகையில் குமரியில் ஏற்படுத்தப்பட்டுள்ள வள்ளுவம் சார்ந்த மணற்சிற்பம் உள்ளிட்டவற்றை… pic.twitter.com/3487g5gsQc

— Udhay (@Udhaystalin) December 30, 2024

"At the stroke of the new millennium, this sky high statue was inaugurated in honour of Valluvar, who gave the Thirukkural two thousand years ago. We visited the sand sculptures dedicated to Valluvar, which have been created to mark its silver jubilee. We should all celebrate the glory of Valluvar in every way possible," said Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin.

For the unversed, Thirukkural, authored by Thiruvalluvar, is a timeless masterpiece of Tamil literature consisting of couplets offering insights on ethics, politics, economics, and love, which continues to inspire people across generations.