Odisha-Born Painter PK Mahanandia Appointed Advisor For Swedish Art & Culture Dept

Bhubaneswar: Renowned Odia painter Pradyumna Kumar Mahanandia has been appointed as Art advisor for Swedish Arts Council by its national government.

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik on Sunday congratulated Mahanandia for his new role in the Swedish Arts Council and said, "His success has brought glory to our state and I wish him to achieve more success in future."

Time and again, Mahanadia's timeless love story continues to trend in social media . His journey across borders of almost 20 countries in a second-hand cycle to meet the love of his life in Sweden way back in the 1970s is an epitome of love for all.

Born in Kandhapada village of Angul district, Mahanandia did his higher studies in College of Art, Delhi in 1971 and worked as a painter there. It is during that time when he came in contact with Swedish national Charlotte who had come to Delhi. It is said that she got inspired by his paintings and fell in love with Mahanandia.

Charlotte returned back to Sweden but they often exchanged letters with a hope to reunite. In 1977, Mahanandia decided to go to meet Charlotte and sold everything he owned and set off on a journey to Sweden on a bicycle.

It took him 5 months of cycling to finally reach Sweden where he reunited with the love of his life and has been staying there since. Mahanandia, however, has never forgotten his love for his birthplace. He often comes to Odisha and proudly promotes Odia culture in foreign soil.

(Edited By Suryakant Jena)

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