Sudarsan Pattnaik Creates 80-Foot Sand Art with 500 Kg Plastic Bottles at Gopalpur Beach Festival 2026.
Say No to Single-Use Plastic Renowned Padma Shri awardee Sudarsan Pattnaik has once again captured hearts and minds with his powerful environmental message. At the ongoing Gopalpur Beach Festival in Ganjam , Odisha, the famous sand artist created an impressive 80-feet-long sand sculpture using 500 kg of waste plastic bottles. The eye-catching installation features a giant fish made from discarded plastic bottles, combined with beautiful sand art.
Bold letters display the strong appeal: “Say NO to single-use plastic. Save our planet!” It highlights the serious threat of plastic pollution to oceans, marine life like fish and turtles, and the entire environment. Sudarsan Pattnaik, known worldwide for turning sand into meaningful messages, often uses waste materials in his creations to spread awareness. During the festival, he also made other sculptures, including one with helmets for road safety. But this plastic bottle fish stands out as a clear call to stop using throw-away plastics that harm beaches, rivers, and seas. The artwork reminds visitors and viewers that small changes—like saying no to single-use items and choosing recycling—can make a big difference in fighting plastic pollution and saving our planet.
Crowds at the Gopalpur Beach Festival 2026 stopped to admire the creation. Many took photos and shared them online, praising the artist for turning waste into a tool for good. “Let’s turn waste into awareness,” Pattnaik shared, inspiring people to join the movement against plastic waste. This creative effort in Odisha shows how art can educate and motivate communities toward a cleaner, greener future.
Summary of Iconic Past Works Of Padma Shri Sudarsan Pattnaik :
Guinness World Record – 48-ft tallest sand castle (2017, Puri Beach) for world peace.
Plastic pollution awareness – Giant turtles and fish made from thousands of waste plastic bottles.
Limca Book Records – 1,000 sand Santa Clauses (2016) and apple-sand Santa.
Global Gandhi tributes – Gold-winning 15-ft Gandhi in Moscow (2016) and other peace sculptures.
Cultural icons – World’s largest sand Ganesha , many Lord Jagannath figures; 10-ft Ganesha won Fred Darrington Sand Master Award (2025, UK).
Other works – Taj Mahal replica, Buddha-Shiva, Chandrayaan-3 tribute, COVID awareness, water conservation many more. He has participated in 65+ international festivals, won 27+ awards, and runs a free sand art school in Puri. His temporary art delivers permanent messages on environment, peace, and culture to everyone.
Gopalpur Beach Festival 2026:
This is a big happy news for the people of Ganjam district. After a gap of a few years, the Gopalpur Beach Festival is coming back again in 2026. This grand festival will be held at Gopalpur beach from 27 February to 30 February.
At this beach festival, visitors will enjoy live concerts, popular singers, dancers, and exciting performances by celebrities. Along with this, people will get a chance to experience Odisha’s culture and traditions closely through Odia folk dance, folk music, and folk art.
The Gopalpur Beach Festival is not limited to entertainment only. Special food items from Berhampur and South Odisha will also be available, which will make the festival more enjoyable.
This grand festival is being organized by the Ganjam district administration to make it a success.