Odisha of My Times: English Translation of Mo Samayara Odisha by Krishna Chandra Panigrahi

Odisha of my times is a faithful rendition in English of Mo Samayara Odisha, published in Odia in 1978 by the eminent historian and archaeologist, Dr. Krishna Chandra Panigrahi. It is more than an autobiography. In it is mirrored not only the author’s story of growing up amid adversity and his struggle up the academic echelon, it also is the pen-picture of the prevalent socio-cultural and academic world of Odisha of fifty years (1920s to late-1970s). Honest, candid, forthright, even at times unsparing, it is a no-holds-barred portrayal of the shenanigans and nepotism that the author experienced and of the contemporary times. The frank and guileless views expressed in the Odia book endeared the readers to the book that ran into multiple editions, apart from receiving the Odisha Sahitya Academy award in 1978. The author was conferred the fourth highest civilian award Padma Shri from the Republic of India in 1976 for his contribution in the field of literature and education.