More than 40 years ago a beautiful love story began between an Indian man and a young Swedish woman. After defeating all the odds, this beautiful couple is still together. Here's their unbelievable but very true story.
Pradyumna Kumar Mahanandia was born an "untouchable" in a remote village of India in 1949. According to prophecy, told by an astrologer after Kumar's birth, he was meant to marry a musician woman from a faraway country, who is born under the zodiac sign of Taurus and owns a forest. "I believed strongly in the prophecy and now know that everything is planned on this planet," Kumar told National Geographic.
The man remembers very clearly the day when prophecy became a real story. The beautiful journey began on December 17, 1975. Back then, Kumar was a street artist. A beautiful blonde woman with blue eyes, named Charlotte Von Schedvin, asked him to draw a portrait of her. "When she appeared before my easel, I felt as though I didn’t have any weight. Words are not accurate enough to express such a feeling," he said. "Her eyes were so blue and big and round, I felt as if she was not looking at me, she was looking inside me, like an X-ray machine!" The nervous young man couldn't properly draw a woman of his dreams the first time, so he asked Charlotte to come back another day. "She ended up coming back three times, and I did three portraits, " he said. "After the second time, I felt, she’s the one!" It turns out the mysterious foreign woman was born under the sign of Taurus, owns a forest and plays the flute, just as the prophecy said. "You will be my wife. We were destined to meet.” Kumar told his one real love.
Charlotte, who was 19 years old at the time, wasn't scared of this unexpected confession and decided to give the young man a change. The couple spent 2-3 weeks together before Charlotte came back home to Sweden.
Charlotte, who was 19 years old at the time, wasn't scared of this unexpected confession and decided to give the young man a change. The couple spent 2-3 weeks together before Charlotte came back home to Sweden.
The love story could've ended there, but young and determined Kumar decided not to let it happen. After a year and a half spent apart, the artist sold everything he had and bought a bicycle. With very little money and the help of a few kind people he met on the way, Kumar managed to travel 6,000 miles to see Charlotte. "The biggest obstacle on this long trip was my own thoughts, my doubts," he said.
The two lovers ended up throwing a full Indian wedding and have been together for more than 40 years now. The couple has raised two children together, and their love is as strong as ever.
Meet Pradyumna Kumar Mahanandia, a man who crossed over 6,000 miles to be with the love of his life
More than 40 years ago a beautiful love story blossomed between Pradyumna Kumar Mahanandia and Charlotte Von Schedvin
According to the prophecy, Kumar was meant to marry a musician from a faraway country, who is born under the zodiac sign of Taurus and owns a forest
The man remembers very clearly the day when prophecy came true
Back then, Kumar was a street artist and a beautiful woman asked him to draw a portrait of her
The nervous young man couldn't properly draw a woman of his dreams the first time, so he asked Charlotte to come back another day
After she came back for the second time Kumar knew she was the one
Feelings have blossomed between them, but after 2 or 3 weeks Charlotte had to come back home to Sweden
After a year and a half spent apart, the artist sold everything he had and bought a bicycle
With very little money and the help of a few kind people he met on the way, Kumar managed to travel 6,000 miles to see Charlotte
The two lovers ended up getting married and have been together for more than 40 years now
The couple has raised two children together and their love is as strong as ever
