SEKHAR,SAMANTA,CHANDRA - LIFE AND WORK

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.