Puri, Sept. 17 -- International sand artist Manas Kumar Sahoo marked Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 76th birthday on Thursday with a special sand animation portraying him as Lord Vishwakarma, the Hindu deity associated with creativity and construction.

Created at Sahoo's studio in Puri, the artwork connects PM Modi's birthday with Vishwakarma Puja and depicts the idea of nation-building and the vision of a "Viksit Bharat" (Developed India). Sahoo said the sand animation took approximately one hour to complete.

"Today, we are celebrating Modi ji's 76th birthday through sand art; we have created this sand art to convey our heartfelt best wishes. We are highlighting the fact that Modi ji's birthday coincides with Vishwakarma Puja...as has ...