India: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 76th birthday is being celebrated across the country and a great artistic tribute is being made on the shores of Puri in Odisha. The world famous sand artist and Padma Shri awardee Sudarsan Pattnaik has presented a 25-foot long sand-art installation at Puri Beach to celebrate the occasion and the theme “25 Years of Seva to the Nation.”
The elaborate artwork, called “Aashirwad Ka Diya – 25 Years of Seva – Happy Birthday Modi Ji,” combines sand sculpture with thousands of traditional earthen lamps. There are 2,500 diyas, and it is an installation of light and symbolism along the famous Puri coastline which is not easy to ignore.
The installation’s size and design are associated with a specific numerical symbolism. The 25-foot length is based on 25 years of public service and the 2,500 diyas are meant to represent prayers, blessings and good wishes on the Prime Minister’s birthday. The sand, light and sea landscape give the tribute a visual touch.
The sand artwork features a portrait of Prime Minister Modi set against the Indian Tricolour, and the illuminated diyas add another aspect to the installation. People came to Puri Beach to see the huge-scale painting, so the artwork was a big attraction in the vicinity of the birthday celebration. Students from the Sudarsan Sand Art Institute were also involved in the installation.
Sudarsan Pattnaik uses sand as a medium so as to create works of art that are associated with major national, cultural, environmental and social events. His works on Puri Beach have become popular with visitors in the past as their grand scale and connection to present times and public events. The latest installation continues that tradition with a major public event and Pattnaik’s signature style of art.
For the birthday tribute, the artist has included seva, or public service, at the heart of the artwork. The theme is to capture the 25 years of Modi’s political and public leadership including his time as Gujarat Chief Minister and then as Prime Minister. Recently, events around his birthday are also happening around this 25-year anniversary.
Pattnaik also wished the Prime Minister a happy birthday and said he prayed to Mahaprabhu Jagannath for Modi’s health, happiness and long life. It adds a local cultural element to the installation, given Puri’s importance as the home of the Jagannath temple and one of Odisha’s most prominent pilgrimage and tourism spots.
PM @narendramodi celebrates his birthday today.
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) September 17, 2026
📸 Renowned sand artist and Padma Shri awardee Sudarsan Pattnaik creates a special 25-foot-long sand art installation at Puri Beach, celebrating the theme “25 Years of Seva to the Nation.”#SewaSankalpAbhiyan #HappyBdayPMModi pic.twitter.com/LN0Mac9ApA
Prime Minister Modi has his birthday on September 17, and he turns 76 in 2026. Political leaders and public figures have come out toasting him on the day and programmes and activities are planned in the country.
The 25-foot sand installation at Puri Beach is therefore a visual birthday tribute that draws upon art, traditional lamps and the theme of public service. With its 2,500 diyas and large scale design, the creation has added a distinct artistic aspect to the celebrations in Odisha and once again shows Pattnaik’s capability of turning Puri’s shoreline into a canvas for major public occasions.
