Carving of sculpture in sand or sand art as is popularly called has been historically rooted in Orissa. Popular story of Poet Balram Das creating images of Lord Jagganath, Balabhadra and Subhadra in the beaches of Puri once he was dissuaded from visiting the Lord ,goes on to prove the same.

In recent times, sculptor of international fame Mr.Sudarshan Pattnaik has been responsible for giving a fresh lease of life to this art form in Orissa. Beautiful sand sculptures by him on the Puri beach attract the attention of any tourist and captivates him. He has represented the country in many sand festivals and brought many laurels home.