P. K. Mahanandia

Pradyumna Kumar Mahanandia (Born in 1949) is an Indian-born Swedish artist famous for his journey by a second hand bicycle from New Delhi to Borås in 1977 to meet his lover, Charlotte Von Schedvin.

Mahanandia was born in 1949 in an Odia-speaking weaver family in the village of Kandhapada of the Athmallik sub-division in the district of Angul.

His father was a postmaster in Athmallik (where he lived during the weeks and commuted home on the weekends by bicycle) The family later moved to Athmallik.

As his father was a member of the pano caste when young he often faced discrimination from upper-caste because he was a Dalit and his mother was a member of the khond tribe.

The khond is not included in the caste system of India and was therefore considered castless.

He attended Mahendra High School, Athmallik and later joined Visva-Bharati to study art.

Despite his admittance to the art school, it certainly became impossible for him to pay for tuition, so he had to return home.

He later joined Government College of Art and Crafts, Khallikote and moved to College of Art, Delhi in 1971.

While studying in Delhi College of Art, he shot to fame in portraiture by drawing the portrait of Indira Gandhi.

He sought permission from the authorities to sit under the holy fountain at Connaught Place and draw portraits.

It is here that he met Von Schedvin on 17 December 1975.

She was a student in London who had driven all the way to India in a van for 22 days and went to visit PK to have her portrait done.

That portrait changed their lives as they fell in love with each other and married.

Von Schedvin had to return to Sweden and asked Pradyumna to come with her, but he decided that one day he would go on his own.

After she left, the two kept in touch through letters.

Mahanandia unfortunately did not have enough money to buy a plane ticket.

He decided to sell everything and bought a bicycle and set off on his journey on 22 January 1977.

He would cycle about 44 km every day and supported himself by drawing portraits of people along the way who provided him with money,food and shelter.

His travels took him through Afghanistan, Iran and finally through Turkey which allowed him to reach Europe on 28 May, then he continuned to Gothenburg by train.

On his long bicycle journey he has himself expressed the sentiment that he doesn't understand "why people think it was a big deal to cycle to Europe".

"I did what I had to, I had no money but I had to meet her. I was cycling for love, but never loved cycling. It's simple."

Mahanandia is well known in Sweden as an artist and works as an adviser of art and culture for the Swedish government.

His paintings have been exhibited in major cities of the world and have found places in UNICEF greeting cards.

In 2010, Indian filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali was planning to make a film on the love story of Mahanandia and Von Schedvin.

On 4 January 2012, he was awarded an honorary doctorate degree (Degree of Honoris Causa) from Utkal University of Culture (UUC) in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha.

He was also designated as the Odia Cultural ambassador to Sweden by the Government of Odisha.