Padma Shri Award will encourage sculptors, says Rajastapathi

“This grant volition promote sculptors and juniors to instrumentality maine arsenic a relation exemplary and I volition thatch them astir the intricacies successful this field," said sculptor Rajastapathi Kaliappa Goundar, who is selected for the Padma Shri Award nether the arts category.

Mr. Goundar told journalists connected Sunday, "I see this grant arsenic a designation by the gods, arsenic my tract is related to temples. I got 3 years of grooming successful a gurukulam from 1975 done the Tamil Nadu Handloom Department, and I americium successful this tract for the past 51 years. I dedicate the grant to Lord Shiva-Parvathi and Vishnu-Mahalaxmi. I convey the Union authorities for recognising my field.”