Noted sand artist Sudarsan creates giant Santa Claus sculpture with 1500 kg tomatoes
Gopalpur (Odisha) (PTI): A giant 27-foot sand and tomato Santa Claus installation crafted by well-known sculptor Sudarsan Pattnaik rang in the Christmas cheer in Odisha on Sunday, as revellers flocked to the Gopalpur beach to get a glimpse of the artwork.
Pattnaik claimed his creation is the world's biggest tomato and sand installation of Santa Claus, which weighs 1.5 tonnes and is 60-feet wide.
The Padma Shri awardee said he completed the sculpture at the Gopalpur beach in Ganjam district with the help of 15 of his students.
"#TomatoSanta world's biggest Tomato with Sand #SantaClause installation," he said in a tweet.
"We have set records earlier, too, during Christmas by creating the biggest Santa Claus using different mediums. This time, we have used sand and tomato," Pattnaik, 45, later told reporters.
The internationally acclaimed artist has been making sand sculptures based on a variety of themes over the years.
Earlier this month, Pattnaik had created the logo of India's G20 presidency on sand, after India officially took over the chair of the grouping in November.
He was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2014 for his immense contribution to art.
क्रिसमस के अवसर पर सैंड आर्टिस्ट सुदर्शन पटनायक ने ओडिशा के गोपालपुर बीच पर 1500 किलो टमाटर से 27 फीट ऊंचा सैंड सांता क्लॉज बनाया #Trending #Odisha #Christmas #SantaClaus #merrychristmas🎄 @sudarsansand pic.twitter.com/nJllpPgPnf
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UP: 90 Bangladeshis, including 28 children, held in Mathura for illegal stay
Mathura (UP), May 16 (PTI): As many as 90 Bangladeshi nationals, including many children, were apprehended from Uttar Pradesh's Mathura district on Friday for alleged illegal stay in India, officials said.
They were taken into custody from local brickyards at Khajpur village under the Naujheel police station limits, a senior officer said.
"Regular searches were being conducted throughout the district. During one such operation, police were searching some local brickyards when they came across Bangladeshi nationals working there," SSP Shlok Kumar said.
Giving a break-up, the officer said in all, 35 men, 27 women and 28 children have been taken into custody.
"During interrogation, all of them admitted to being Bangladeshi nationals living illegally in India. They moved to Mathura three to four months back from a neighbouring state. Police are trying to establish their links," the SSP said, adding that their job contractor and other associates are also being questioned.
The officer told PTI that police also recovered some Aadhaar cards from the Bangladeshi nationals, apparently issued on forged documents in some other state.
Further legal proceedings are underway, Kumar said.
