Odia Painter Mahanandia Appointed as Advisor for Sweden Govt

Bhubaneswar (Surjit Kumar Dhal): Noted painter from our State Pradyumna Kumar Mahanandia has been appointed as Art and culture advisor for Swedish Arts Council by its government. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik yesterday congratulated Pratyuma Kumar for his new assignment 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.”

Pradyumna’s endless love story continues to trend in social media . His journey across the nation of near about 20 countries in a bicycle to meet his lover in Sweden way back in the 1970s is an examploratory movement for all

Born in Kandhapada village of Angul district, Pradyumna Kumar 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 the National capital. It is said that she got inspired by his paintings and fell in love with Pradyumna Kumar.

Charlotte returned back to Sweden but they often exchanged letters. In 1977, Pradyumna decided to go to meet Charlotte and sold everything he owned and set off on a journey to Sweden on a second hand bicycle. It took him 5 months of cycling to finally reach Sweden where he got his love and has been staying there.