BHUBANESWAR: Noted sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik was hospitalized with an injury on Sunday evening after a miscreant attempted to snatch his wrist watch at the venue of International Sand Art Festival in Odisha 's Puri district.Pattnaik was rushed to the district headquarters hospital in Puri for treatment. "The youth caught hold of my arm during a handshake and tried to snatch my wrist watch. Even my students and friends tried to catch him, but failed," he added.The five-day long International Sand Art Festival was inaugurated on December 1 at Chandrabhaga beach near the famous Sun Temple in Konark. Pattnaik is the brand ambassador of the festival.A total of 70 participants, including 18 women, participated in the festival. Participants from nine countries - Germany, Mexico, Ghana, Singapore, Canada, Spain, Sri Lanka, Russia and India will showcase their sand art during the festival.

Source: Times of India December 03, 2017 16:30 UTC