Rashmi Rekha Das
Young sand artist Ankit Das’s devotion for the Lord springs from the depth of his soul
Thirteen-year-old Ankit Das from Balasore is an ardent devotee of Lord Jagannath. His love for the Lord began in early childhood and Ankit was perfectly groomed by his family members. The young artist creates different sand sculptures on Jagannath culture during the nine-day Rath Yatra festival. His sand art construction, called ‘Bali re Naibedya’, means a special offering to the Lord on sand. Through the sand sculptures, he makes special offerings to the Trinity every year during the annual sojourn of the Lord and His siblings. Orissa POST talks to the little devotee about his inspiration and aspirations.
Asked about his heartfelt devotion for the Lord, Ankit said: “We have a Jagannath temple near our house where Rath Yatra is held every year. My aunt is a staunch devotee of Lord Jagannath. She used to tell me all the interesting stories about devotion. There were several devotees, stories of whose devotion have become a part of folklore associated with Puri Jagannath temple. But one story stands out, that of Salabega, a 17th-century poet who wrote paeans to the Lord. The verses inspired me and I always wanted to work with sand, especially during Rath Yatra. It feels good to see people appreciating my work.”
“Jagannath is the Lord of the Universe. The colours of His siblings can be interpreted to represent broadly all the races of the world: Balabhadra being white symbolises the white-skinned people; Subhadra being yellow stands for largely the Mongoloids; Jagannath being black symbolises the black/brown skinned people. This represents a unity of peoples. I feel proud when I think of our presiding deities, Lord Jagannath and His siblings,” Ankit said.
“When he was just two, he used to sit before the deities in the temple as if he were interacting with the Gods. Four years ago, he decided to offer ‘naibedya’ at Sand Park along with a few local sand artists including the renowned Kuna Behera. Since then Ankit hasn’t looked back. His imagination and work are praiseworthy. He depicts the different incarnations of Lord Krishna during the festivities,” said Ankit’s guide and senior artist-cum-cartoonist Kesu Das.
Born to farmer Patita Paban Das and homemaker Bimalini Das, Ankit wants to make become a sand artist. “My aim is to be an artist of repute and devote my life in spreading Jagannath culture across the globe,” he said.
“All art must have a story behind it. A story that is immediately apparent to the viewer,” said the Class IX student of Ratnakar Town High School. “I develop a concept first which is unambiguously associated with the event I am displaying. Then I translate it on to paper as the picture I will follow faithfully.” My tryst with sand began when for the first time I made the face of the Lord Jagannath on sand on the occasion of Rath Yatra. To everybody’s surprise I came up with a brilliant creation of Lord Jagannath.”
Ankit who has been awarded by Nilagiri King, Baleswari Child Art Competition for two consecutive years, Dream’s Ideal School, Amrutabani Gurukul Shikshya Kendra and his school Ratnakar Town High School attributes his success as a sand artist to his guide Kesu Das.
Devotee in a nutshell
Favourite food: Vegetarian dishes
Favourite hangout zone: Nilagiri Jagannath temple
Inspiration: Kesu Das
Aim: To be a sand artist of repute
Favourite bhajan: ‘Ahe Nila Saila’
