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To celebrate 100 years of sand sculpting in the area, which was started and pioneered by Fred Darrington in the 1920s, SandWorld at Lodmoor Country Park has opened its doors this year with an extra special creation on display. A sculpture of Ganesh, the Hindu god of peace, wisdom and luck has now been crafted by sand sculptor Sudarsan Pattnaik from Odisha, India, who has praised Weymouth's sand. Sand sculptor Sudarsan Pattnaik with his artwork at SandWorld in Weymouth (Image: Andy Jones) For over 30 years, Sudarsan has used his sand artistry to promote culture and social causes, earning international accolades.
He has been honoured with one of India's highest civilian awards by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and continues to inspire new generations of artists. His striking and colorful sculpture was created in five days and was unveiled at an award presentation in recognition of his visit to Weymouth. He was presented with the Fred Darrington Award for Excellence in Art and Culture by Weymouth mayor Cllr Jon Orrell and a representative from the High Commision of India, Minister Naorem J Singh The award is a one-of-a-kind Stuart Wiltshire glass wave containing a small amount of Weymouth sand.
From left: Weymouth mayor Cllr Jon Orrell, Sudarsan Pattnaik, Mark Anderson, David Hicks and Minister Naorem J Singh. (Image: Andy Jones) Speaking at the unveiling of his sculpture, he said: "It's a great day and a big honour for me as an artist. "It's the first time I have visited Weymouth but this is one of the best sands in the world.
"It started with Fred Darrington one hundred years ago on the beach and this is for him and that is why we are here today. "He started the sculptures and its a great honour to receive this honour in his name for me and my country." Fred's grandson, Mark Anderson has continued the family tradition and is a master sculptor himself and co founder of SandWorld, which he started in 2011 along with friend and fellow sand artist David Hicks.
SandWorld at Lodmoor Country park in Weymouth (Image: Andy Jones) On Mr Pattanaik's creation, he said: "We have got this incredibly colourful and joyous god of peace, wisdom and luck and we are very proud. The parallels with how Sudarsan and my grandfather started are very similar." This year's sand sculpture festival also features prehistoric creatures that lived 83 million years ago, a full-colour Egyptian prince, beloved children's characters, and a range of inspiring original artworks.
Visitors can also enjoy hands-on workshops and family-friendly activities. Sadie Mee with her children Emily and Tommy (Image: Andy Jones) Sadie Mee with her two children Emily and Tommy were impressed with the new sculpture. They said: "We like it, it's amazing and it has lots of pretty colours on it.
"We love SandWorld and we always come back – its safe and secure for the kids." SandWorld's Sand Sculpture Festival is now open daily from 10.30 am until Sunday, November 9.
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