German-origin professor marries specially-abled Odisha man

Bhubaneswar: The marriage of a German-origin woman professor and a specially-abled man in Odisha reaffirmed the popular maxim that true love transcends all boundaries.

The love story of the couple — Ulrik Jason and Shivaji Panda — has caught the attention of people of Subarnapur district of Odisha.

“I like the village life, which is full of nature. I like the Mahanadi… the cows. I was surprised by the way his family welcomed me. We have a school nearby and I work with the teachers there. I am now the daughter-in-law of Odisha and will spend most of the time here,” Ulrik Jason said in Odia.

Shivaji, who is deaf and mute, hails from Sindurpur village in Subarnapur district.

Ulrik, a sign language professor at a university in UK, came in contact with Shivaji, who also used to teach at the same university, around a few years ago.

Later, Shivaji returned to his native place, after quitting his job at the university in UK in 2016.

He opened a sign language school in Subarnapur district and set up an “eco-village” on the banks of the Mahanadi river near his village.

However, love re-united both Ulrik and Shivaji despite living thousands of km apart.

Ulrik, draped in a Sambalpuri saree, looked like a typical Odia bride when she married Shivaji at a court in UK on June 17, 2023, in the presence of close friends and family members.

The couple later returned to Odisha where Shivaji’s family welcomed them.

Both have been living happily at their eco-village, growing trees, plants, and shrubs.

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(IANS)