Puri Beach Welcomes PM Modi With Sudarsan Pattnaik’s 8-Foot Sand Sculpture

Renowned sand artist and Padma Shri awardee Sudarsan Pattnaik created an 8-foot sand sculpture at Puri Beach to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his scheduled visit to Odisha on Sunday.

The artwork celebrates the state’s cultural heritage while highlighting India’s progress in digital infrastructure and cybersecurity.

The sculpture combines Odisha’s iconic Konark Wheel with a sand replica of the RBI’s Data Centre, blending cultural heritage with digital progress.

Speaking to IANS, Pattnaik said the inauguration of the RBI’s second Data Centre in Odisha was a proud moment for the state.

PM Modi will inaugurate the RBI’s Data Centre and Cybersecurity Training Institute in Bhubaneswar during his visit to Odisha.

These facilities aim to strengthen India’s financial technology infrastructure and support the growing demands of digital banking and financial services.

According to an official statement, the Data Centre will provide the RBI and the wider financial sector with a secure, resilient, scalable and future-ready computing ecosystem.

Four state-of-the-art data centres will host critical payment and settlement systems, along with other major financial technology initiatives.

The facility has received Tier IV certification from the Uptime Institute, a globally recognised benchmark for data centre infrastructure and operational resilience.

It also ranks among the largest Tier IV-certified facilities worldwide in the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector.

The Data Centre will enhance the reach, efficiency and reliability of digital financial services. The Cybersecurity Training Institute will provide specialised training and research in AI, quantum computing and other advanced technologies for the financial sector.

Pattnaik’s sand sculpture welcomes PM Modi while highlighting Odisha’s cultural heritage and India’s digital progress.

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