Would You Cycle 6000 Miles For Love?
In 1977, such an epic trip was undertaken by Pradyumna Kumar Mahanandia, who cycled from India to Sweden. He set out on a trip of epic proportions to reunite with the woman he loved, Charlotte "Lotta" Von Schedvin. Quite an adventure it turned out to be! Would you be game for such an adventure and cycle 6000 miles?
Lotta and PK, as Pradyumna is known, first met in India in 1975 when he drew her portrait. She was no stranger to adventure and had in fact journeyed to India in a VW van with friends, after working in London as a nurse for a year.
The couple hit it off and got married in a traditional ceremony in Odisha. After she had to return to Sweden to study, PK looked at the cost of an aeroplane flight to get to Sweden. Prices were stratospheric, costing 40,000 rupees or 18 times the average annual income in India at that time.
Undeterred, he bought a ladies Raleigh bicycle and set off on the bike with a rudimentary tent, sleeping bag and his art supplies.
His remarkable journey is a fascinating story with an overriding theme of kindness by strangers. He would meet many different people along the way who helped him in various ways, both financial and practical. He also prolonged his trip by helping others.
In Afghanistan, for instance, he came across a severely injured Western woman who’d been involved in a car accident. She was lying on the side of the road, bloodied and in need of medical assistance. PK flagged down a truck, lifted her into it and took her to hospital. He stayed there until she was discharged and helped her arrange a return flight back to her home country, Austria, through the embassy.
She in turn would later provide him a plane ticket for part of the journey to Sweden.
PK’s journey would take him through many countries and he encountered several border challenges along the way. At each hurdle, though, he found a way over them with the help of kind strangers. He drew portraits for people and they invited him into their homes and helped him at each stage of the trip. After four tiring but amazing months, he was reunited with Lotta.
This remarkable and uplifting story has been made into a documentary which will be hitting cinemas in September 2026. It is called The Cycle Of Love and the film was directed by Orlando von Einsiedel.
Einsiedel has combined re-enacted parts by actors Chirag Lobo and Mina Dale alongside interviews with PK and Lotta themselves. The actors re-enacted scenes from the protagonists younger years, brining the story to life for audiences.
As well as highlighting the kindness of strangers, the documentary also explores the caste system in India as it relates to the childhood experience of PK growing up in India.
Plus, if you’re a bookworm and prefer to read this remarkable story, a book about PK’s life has been published. You can check out the biography, The Amazing Story of the Man Who Cycled from India to Europe for Love. It was written by the Swedish journalist, Per J. Andersson.
Vocabulary
Epic
(adjective)
Meaning: Used to describe events that happen over a long period of time and contain action and difficulty.
Example: Our cruise to Antarctica was epic.
Hit it off
(phrase)
Meaning: To become friends quickly.
Example: Sue hit it off with June and they’ve been close ever since.
Prolong
(verb)
Meaning: To make something last a longer time.
Example: The meeting was prolonged by an hour.
Hurdle
(noun)
Meaning: A challenge that needs to be overcome.
Example: Getting the visa was the first hurdle they had to overcome.
Re-enact
(verb)
Meaning: To make an event happen again exactly as it did the first time.
Example: Police officers re-enacted the crime to show what had actually happened.
Discussion
What are your thoughts on this story?
Would you take a long cycling trip for a holiday or adventure?
Do you think this kind of trip could be re-enacted today in its entirety? Why or why not?
What is the best way to travel long distance?
What forms of transport are popular for holidaymakers these days?
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