‘One Day The World Will Know Your Name’: How A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s Words Changed A Sand Artist’s Life

In December 2005, after seeing a monumental sand sculpture in Bathinda, Punjab, India’s former President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam told young artist Madhurendra Kumar that one day the world would know his name. Madhurendra has called that moment the turning point of his life. Two decades on, he holds 12 world records and has represented India at festivals across 25-plus countries.

The Sculpture That Drew Kalam’s Attention

• Title: ‘Sarvadharm Ki Shahadat Dedicated to the Nation’
• Location: Bathinda, Punjab
• Date: December 2005
• Scale: nearly 40 feet high and 100 feet long
• Materials: roughly 200 tons of sand
• Team: close to fifty labourers over fifteen days

Where He Came From

Madhurendra Kumar was born on 5 September 1994 in Barwakala Village, Ghorasahan Block, East Champaran, Bihar, near the India–Nepal border. His ancestral village is Bijbani in Bankatwa Block. His father, Shivkumar Sah, is a farmer; his mother, Gena Devi, is a homemaker.

His early work to support the family and his studies included:

• Grazing goats from the age of five
• Selling curd door-to-door
• Weaving bamboo baskets
• Working in hotels and painting houses
• Selling vegetables and snacks at village fairs
• Sleeping in a college corridor for nearly six months because he could not afford a hostel room

Education

• BFA and MFA in Sculpture, Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith (MGKV), Varanasi
• Intermediate, BFA and MFA in Painting, Prachin Kala Kendra, Chandigarh (First Division)
• Honorary Doctorate (2026), America International University (AIU), Hollywood, USA

Art Built Around Social Themes

His artworks consistently highlight themes such as:

• Environmental conservation and climate change
• Plastic pollution and sustainable living
• Anti-drug awareness
• Water conservation
• Women’s empowerment
• World peace
• Cultural heritage
• Historical figures including Lord Buddha, Mahavira and Mahatma Gandhi

He works in sand, clay, cement, metal, thermocol, grains, fruit carving and leaf carving, and has turned discarded liquor bottles, cigarette waste and gutkha packets into sculptures promoting addiction-free living.

World Records

He holds 12 world records. Some of them include:

• London Book of World Records (2025) for creating more than 5,000 unique sand sculptures promoting positive social awareness, an achievement also honoured at the British Parliament
• Asian Book of World Records (2025) for creating 50 unique sand sculptures depicting the mythological Gaj-Graah battle during the Sonpur Fair
• UN Book of World Records (2026) for producing 50 sand sculptures illustrating the complete life journey of Lord Buddha from birth to Mahaparinirvana
• USA Book of World Records (2026) for creating more than 21,000 unique leaf artworks
• Forbes Book of World Records (2026) for producing more than 100 awareness-driven sand sculptures highlighting public welfare and social development

Awards At Home And Abroad

He has represented India at more than 50 international sand art festivals across 25-plus countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, China, Russia, Australia, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

International honours include:

• Best Sand Sculpture Artist of the Year (Bhutan)
• Indo-Nepal International Golden Sand Master Award
• Global Peace Ambassador Award (Sri Lanka)
• Honorary Doctorate (2026) from America International University (AIU), Hollywood, USA

Major national honours include:

• Indian Lalit Kala Academy Award (2014)
• Raja Ravi Varma National Award (2020)
• Tilka Manjhi National Award (2023)
• Bharat Gaurav Samman (2025)
• Dr. B. R. Ambedkar National Award (2025)
• National Kala Ratna Award (2026)

Brand Ambassador Work

• Election Commission of India during the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections and the 2020 Bihar Assembly Elections, for voter awareness
• Government of India for the Swachh Survekshan 2021–22 campaign
• COMFED (Sudha Dairy) during the National Farmers’ Fair 2024, for farmer empowerment and rural development

Looking Ahead

• Establish a free Sand Art Academy for children from poorer backgrounds
• Promote India’s heritage by combining 3D Sand Art with Leaf Art

Kalam’s words in Bathinda were a promise Madhurendra set out to earn. The records, awards and international stages that followed are the public measure of that promise kept.

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