India Clinches 3rd Place At International Snow Sculpture Championship In US

India’s snow sculpture team has brought further glory to the country by securing third place at the prestigious International Snow Sculpture Championship held in Breckenridge, Colorado. The team’s impressive sculpture, titled "Mind in Meditation," earned accolades from judges and spectators alike. 

The four-member team, led by Zahoor Din Lone (Captain), included Mridul Upadhyay, Suhail Mohmad Khan, and Matt Seeley. They spent four days sculpting the masterpiece in freezing temperatures ranging from -25°C to -35°C. The competition saw teams from around the world, with Germany taking first place and Mexico securing second.

Kalvin, a member of the organizing team, praised India’s efforts, saying, "We trusted the spirit of the Indian team, who came, learned, and mastered the craft over time. It’s fantastic to see the sculpture. It doesn’t matter whether it's snow, stone, or wood—the sculpture lives in the heart, and they made it here in Breckenridge."

The sculpture "Mind in Meditation" represented the concept of meditation and the different thoughts that come to mind during the practice. Mridul Upadhyay, a member of the team, explained, “When you meditate, different thoughts come to your mind.Some thoughts take you one way, others another. Our sculpture has three thoughts—happiness, ‘haha,’ ‘huhu,’ and ‘hehe,’ and at the end, we created the sign ‘shhh,’ reminding you that you’re here to meditate. This piece reflects years of hard work and everything we’ve learned. We put it all into this piece, thanks to my team."

The Indian team worked tirelessly, despite the challenging conditions. The team consisted of talented sculptors from Kashmir, including Captain Zahoor Ahmad and Suhail Khan, who is deaf and mute, along with Mridul Upadhyay from Agra. They transformed a massive snow block into a stunning piece of art over four days.

Captain Zahoor Ahmad shared, “This international snow sculpture championship takes place every year in Breckenridge, Colorado. Since 2017, we’ve been selected to participate, and every year we learn something new. This time, some organizations provided tools that helped us work better, and as a result, we secured third place.”

The competition featured 12 teams from around the world, including the US, Germany, Mexico, Finland, Canada, Mongolia, South Korea, Argentina, and Turkey. The five-member judging panel took over six hours to evaluate the sculptures, with India’s design earning recognition for its creativity and craftsmanship.

This remarkable achievement highlights India’s growing talent and creativity in the field of snow sculpting on the global stage.