PM Modi Turns 76: Sudarsan Pattnaik Creates 25-Ft Sand Installation Of The Prime Minister With Thousands Of Mud Tea Cups

Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned 76 on Thursday, September 17, 2026, with wishes pouring in from across the country. Marking the occasion, renowned Padma Shri awardee sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik created a massive 25-foot sand installation featuring the Prime Minister at Golden Beach of Odisha (Puri Beach). The artwork was illuminated with around 2,500 diyas, adding a striking visual element to the installation.

Pattnaik, known for creating large-scale sand sculptures on important occasions and themes, used sand art to mark the Prime Minister's birthday. The installation attracted attention as the diyas lit up the artwork, creating a distinctive display.

Sudarsan Pattnaik creates sand art

Odisha's Padma Shri awardee Sudarsan Pattnaik has created a 25 ft tall sand sculpture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 76th birthday in the early hours of Thursday. The sand installation featured a representation of PM Modi along with elements associated with the birthday tribute. The use of thousands of traditional earthen lamps added a festive touch to the artwork and highlighted the significance of the occasion.

Sudarsan Pattnaik has created numerous sand sculptures over the years to mark festivals, national events and other significant occasions. His works often combine large-scale installations with messages conveyed through sand, making them popular attractions among visitors and social media users.

Pattnaik shared image on X

Mr Pattnaik took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a post along with the image of the beautiful artwork. Sharing the image of the sand art on his social media handle, he captioned, "Wishing Our Hon’ble Prime Minister

@narendramodi ji on his birthday. May Mahaprabhu Jagannath bless him with long and healthy life to serve mother India. I’ve created a Sand Art installation using 1,213 Mud Tea Cups on sand with message #HappyBirthdayModiJi at Puri beach, Odisha."

PM Modi birthday and Vishwakarma Jayanti

PM Modi's birthday is observed annually on September 17. His 76th birthday has coincided with Vishwakarma Jayanti. The auspicious day marks the anniversary of Lord Vishwakarma, who is the divine architect of the universe. Lord Vishwakarma is revered as the creator of legendary structures like Lanka, Dwarka, and Indraprastha. On this day, artisans, craftsmen, factory workers, and others clean and worship their tools, machinery, vehicles and other working things that they use in their daily life.