Mahamahopadhyaya Sri Chandra Sekhar Simha Hari Chandan Mahapatra Soman
ta (1835-1904), generally known as Samanta Chandra Sekhar and more pop
ularly as Pathani Samanta in Orissa, worked in astronomy following the
traditional methods and composed a treatise entitled 'Siddhanta Darpa
na' in Sanskrit verse. It is a valuable work that records innumerable
improvements over the ancient classics, namely, 'Surya Siddhanta' and
'Siddhanta Siromani', by incorporating original observations, calculat
ions. instrumentation and theories. The aim of this paper is to outlin
e and bring to the notice of a wider audience the genius of Chandra Se
khar and his contribution to astronomy. In addition, we also present a
brief life-sketch of the astronomer.