MY MOTHER MY HERO

This is the story of the triumph of an ordinary woman who had the extraordinary power to battle every adversity, every challenge. Nilimarani Samanta was the mother of Dr Achyuta Samanta, the world-renowned educationist, entrepreneur and social reformer. Hers is a story of a woman who shunned every material possession to single-mindedly pursue the welfare of the downtrodden and inspired her son to do the same. Nilimarani was born to middle class parents in a remote village of Orissa (now Odisha). She got married at a young age to a man from her village. Unfortunately, when she was forty, her husband passed away in a tragic accident, leaving her behind with seven children and no money. She fought and overcame every obstacle that came in her way and ensured all her children received good education and became responsible citizens. Even when her children were well-settled in big cities and could provide Nilimarani a life of comfort, she chose a life of simplicity and continued to dwell in the same village that had been her home for decades—Kalarabanka. In 2000, she set about on a mission to accomplish the impossible. In a short span of six years, through tireless and selfless efforts she, with the help of her son Dr Samanta, transformed a backward village into a ‘Smart Village’, the first of its kind in India. Her vision of serving humanity was taken ahead in a spectacular fashion by one of her sons—Dr Achyuta Samanta—who has established two world-class universities KISS and KIIT that are primarily devoted to provide education.