Sands come alive with Gandhi’s thoughts

PORBANDAR - The vast Chowpatty beach here came alive with around 50 magnificent sand sculptures of Mahatma Gandhi surfacing from the golden sands, giving out various messages enshrining his philosophy of peace and non-violence.

People thronged the beach Saturday to catch a glimpse of artwork unseen in the city till now.

For residents of this port town, Martyrs’ Day Saturday was no less than a festival and thousands of people from the nearby region also came to witness the one of its kind event.

Sixty-two years after Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination Jan 30, nearly 150 artists from across the country came together at the beach near his Kirti Mandir birthplace here to mould the sand to depict his life and values.

Local painter Bhimbhai Kotia saw the event as an opportunity to not only showcase his talent but also to interpret Gandhi’s values. He recreated Gandhi’s three monkeys who are usually seen with their eyes, mouth and years closed to any evil thoughts, but with a difference.

“If you ask a monkey not to see, hear or speak something bad would they even listen? The idea is to emulate this in your life and what better way than to tell children who listen. So in my sculpture you see three children, not monkeys,” Kotia, who is from a family of sailors, told IANS.

For Kotia, like many others in this town, this was their first attempt at sand sculpting.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for us to see nice art work. This is the first time we have seen sand fashioned into statues. We also rethink the values and ideals of Gandhi. When we were designing the sculptures, some of us would end up discussing the relevance of the theme with other participants,” said Kanti, another participant.

For some, it became a family affair, with kids and grownups helping their relatives with their moulds and an array of tools ranging from the regular pail and scoop to fancy carving instruments. With a brilliant blue sea overlooking the total 75-odd sculptures, the sight was spectacular.

“With this event, we want to give youngsters a feel of the life of the Mahatma and his values. It is a competitive event. The point of the event was to promote beach activities and subsequently tourism in the region,” Kirti Thakar, Gujarat Tourism’s fairs and festivals manager, told IANS.

Some of the Gandhi statues, many with a spinning wheel or simple slippers, carried slogans like “Gandhi the global Gujarati”, “Work is worship”, “All religions are one”, “Peace between India-Pakistan” and even “I was responsible for salt, who for sugar?” - a reflection mybe on rising sugar prices. The works are on display till Feb 5.

To direct the 150-odd participants, the organisers, the state tourism department, called in renowned sand artist Mohan Mohapatra from Orissa.

“He (Mohapatra) has designed and is creating the main piece at the same venue. This is a lifesize replica of the Kirti Mandir. There will also be a mural of Gandhi. The carvings will trace the real architecture of the place. Apart from this there is a theme pavilion at the Chowpatty also,” Thakar said.

The pavilion houses statues and depictions of Sabarmati Ashram and Hriday Kunj and also traces Gandhi’s journey to South Africa and back to India. Two short films on Gandhi will also be screened.

As he unveiled the event, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi announced that it would be held next year too but with the theme of Gandhi and environment issues.

“With that theme, we want to promote that natural resources should be conserved. At a time when global warming is such a pressing issue, it is Gandhi’s teachings that can show us the path forward,” Modi told reporters.

Also present was Bharatiya Janata Party chief Nitin Gadkari, who was visiting the state for the first time after assuming office. The two leaders also took part in a silent prayer at Kirti Mandir.

The Modi administration also organised a Garib Kalyan Mela (development fair for the poor) in Porbandar - the 34th in the state. Under the scheme, Modi said he wanted to reach out to 2.5 million poor families with benefits to the tune of Rs.1,500 crore.