Sudarshan Sahoo, Orissa :

Master craftsman in stone carving for over four decades, Sudarshan Sahoo has acquired traditional skill and mastery in carving statues of deities and many decorative pieces. He has mastered the art of icon making and he is knowledgeable in the scriptures and ancient lore.

His style imbibes the temple heritage of Orissa. In 1970, he carved the stories of Lord Buddha at the Dhauli peace Pagoda near Bhubaneshwar. He has been to Japan several times at the invitation of the Japan Buddha Sangha and carved all the stone statues and murals required for the Buddha temple and stupas. His long cherished dream came true in 1977 when he started the Sudarshan Crafts Museum at Puri with the objective of bringing about a renaissance in this art.

In 1991, Sri Sahoo set up the Sudarshan Arts and Crafts Village in Bhubaneshwar to keep the art alive by imparting training to the younger generation.

He has devised a scheme for training poor students free of cost in traditional temple sculpture, panels and statues using various media such as, stone, wood, fibre-glass and cement castings. His two sons have joined him and he gives them scope to research and preserve the art.

He has attended demonstrations and exhibitions in India and abroad. His solo exhibitions in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Pune have received unprecedented appreciation and rave reviews from visitors. He was conferred the National Award for stone carving in 1981. In 1988 he was honoured with the Padmashree Award for his outstanding contribution in the field of arts and crafts in India.