Bhubaneswar, Dec 24 (IANS) Sand artist Sudarsan Patnaik created over 100 colourful images of Santa Claus on a beach in Orissa's Puri town Thursday on the eve of Christmas.

The sand replicas created by Patnaik, with the help of students from his art institute, bear messages on the threat the world is facing from climate change and global warming.

The messages include 'Save your earth from global warming' and 'Go for green'.

'Hundreds of tourists visited the beach to see the images today (Thursday) evening and I hope all of them will work for a greener world,' Patnaik told IANS.

'The images used about 1,000 tonnes of sand. We have worked for about 36 hours over the past three days to complete them,' he said.

'Nobody has done such a large number of Santa Claus (images) on sand. I hope the images I have created will find place in the Limca Book of Records,' said Patnaik.

Patnaik has participated in more than 40 international sand sculpture festivals and competitions and won several prizes.

He has figured in the Limca Book of Records in the 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 editions for his work.

Last year, Patnaik had created a 25-feet sand image of Santa Claus on the same beach Dec 24.