Sudarsan Pattnaik Attacked at Sand Art Festival in Puri

Pattnaik was hospitalised on Sunday after suffering injuries from a miscreant attempting to steal his wristwatch.

Noted sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik was hospitalised with an injury on Sunday, 3 December, after being physically attacked.

(Photo Courtesy: Facebook/@sudarsan.sandart)

Sudarsan Pattnaik, a noted sand-artist was rushed to the hospital on Sunday evening, after a miscreant attacked him in an attempt to snatch his wristwatch, reports the Times of India.

TOI states that the incident took place at the venue of the International Sand Art Festival in Puri, Orissa, which started on 1 December. When Pattnaik tried to fight the miscreant’s attempts to steal his wristwatch, the latter allegedly pushed him into the crowd and escaped.

The youth caught hold of my arm during a handshake and tried to snatch my wrist watch. When I tried to resist, he attacked me and disappeared into the crowd.

Sudarsan Pattnaik told <i>TOI</i>

The newspaper added that despite many attempts made by Pattnaik’s students and friends, the miscreant could not be found.

Social media, meanwhile, erupted in a collective message of concern, with people wishing a speedy recovery to the sand-artist, and hoping that the miscreant in question is found and dealt with effectively.

The five-day-long festival was inaugurated at the beach near the Sun Temple in Konark and was organised by the state department of tourism, reports TOI. Pattnaik is also the brand ambassador of the festival, which has seen over 70 participants from countries such as Germany, Mexico, Ghana, Singapore, Canada, Spain, Sri Lanka, Russia and India present at the festival to showcase their art, reports DNA.

(With inputs from Times of India and DNA)