Vibrant Sand Art Welcomes BRICS Summit Delegates to India

International sand artist Manas Kumar Sahoo crafted a colorful sand animation in Puri to welcome leaders of the BRICS nations as they arrive in India for the 18th BRICS Summit. The artwork, showcasing prominent leaders and the venue, Bharat Mandapam in Delhi, serves as a unique welcome for the summit delegates.

Puri's renowned sand artist, Manas Kumar Sahoo, has extended a unique welcome to BRICS leaders with a vibrant sand animation, as they arrive in India for the 18th BRICS Summit. The summit, hosted in New Delhi on September 12-13, 2026, showcases Sahoo's skill in depicting the portraits of key leaders like Vladimir Putin, Cyril Ramaphosa, Xi Jinping, and Narendra Modi using just a handful of sand.

The striking artwork also features Bharat Mandapam, the summit venue in Delhi. In an exclusive conversation with ANI, Sahoo shared that the creation of this masterpiece took eight hours, serving as a distinctive welcome for the visiting delegates and leaders. Sahoo expressed pride in the artwork's role in welcoming BRICS leaders with the theme 'BRICS leaders, welcome to incredible India.'

Preparations for the summit continue in the national capital, with the BRICS Business Forum already underway. Speakers such as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Union Minister Piyush Goyal emphasize the summit's key themes of resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability. The main programme commences on September 12, focusing on strategic partnerships in trade, digital technology, and global governance reform among others.