Odia Painter Cycled Across 8 Countries To Meet His Love

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Dec 3:

Whoever said that every thing is fair in love and war had no idea that millions of romantics would get inspired by it to push extreme limits and thus, make memorable love stories.

The love story of Odia painter P. K. Mahanandia and Sweden's Charlotte Von Schedvin is one such tale. She belongs to the Swedish nobility and he, to a family of weavers considered as outcasts in Odisha. It is a tale of commitment, romance and perseverance with an happy ending.

Mahanandia made portraits as an art student in New Delhi in 1971. In 1975, she heard of him on a trip to India and got her sketch done by him. Mahanandia and Charlotte fell in love and tied the knot. Charlotte even went on to take the name Charulata.

She left and he stayed behind to complete his studies. As in the old school romances, they wrote to each other regularly.

In 1977, he sold off everything he had to buy a bicycle and embarked on a four-month and three-week journey from New Delhi, across Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Germany, Austria and Denmark to reach his lady love in Sweden.

They have been married for 40 years now with two children. Once considered as an untouchable, Utkal University of Culture, Bhubaneswar has awarded him with an honorary doctorate degree.

Utkal University of Culture (UUC) in Bhubaneshwar has awarded him with an honorary doctorate degree.

Dr PK Mahanandia serves as the Odia Cultural Ambassador of India to Sweden and lives with his wife Charlotte and 2 children in Sweden.

Mahanandia and Charlotte's love story has also interested noted filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali to be made into a film.

(Image source: Dr P.K Mahanandia's Facebook page)

(Video source: Kanak News)