Sudarshan Pattnaik - Sand Sculpture Honors Hindu Holy Man Sathya Sai Baba (1926-2011)

NPR
By Associated Press

Sand sculpture of Sathya Sai Baba by Sudarshan Pattnaik

INDIA - An unidentified Indian woman (above) prepares to lay a flower before a sand sculpture of Hindu holy man Sathya Sai Baba, created by artist Sudarshan Pattnaik at Golden Sea beach at Puri, Orissa, India, Sunday, April 24, 2011. Baba, considered a living god by millions of followers worldwide, died Sunday in a hospital near his southern Indian ashram, a doctor said. He was 86. The news brought an outpouring of grief from his followers, including high Indian officials, who remembered him as a pious person who worked selflessly to help others with the billions of dollars donated to his charitable trust. "Sri Satya Sai Baba was a spiritual leader who inspired millions to lead a moral and meaningful life, even as they followed the religion of their choice," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in a statement. "The nation deeply mourns his passing away." [link]