A visionary who spearheaded development

  “IT IS BETTER TO WORK OUT THAN RUST OUT”

Let us remember Sir M Vishveshvaraya, the most celebrated engineer of India.

The man of action who have contributed immensely in the development of nation, the father of Indian engineering, the Civil Engineer, Scholar, Statesman, Bharat Ratna, Sir Mokshgundam Vishveshvaraya.

The name Vishweshwaraya is at the forefront of the list of the world’s greatest engineers and is credited with performing many engineering miracles in the country.

He is the most inspiring personality for all engineers who are passionate for their work.

Birth and childhood

Sir Mokshagundam Vishveshvaraya was born on September 15, 1860, in a Telugu-Brahmin family in the village of Munddenahalli in the state of Mysore. His Parents, (father) Mokshgundanam Srinivasa shastry and (mother)Venkatalakshamma was from the Mokshagundam village.

After losing his father at the age of 12, Vishweshwaraya had to endure a lot of hardship to continue his education, as his family facing financial constraints. He used to study in hard conditions with no power at night & using street lights, but his willpower of marching toward the better tomorrow never stopped him from such obstacles.

Sir MV completed his early education from birthplace Kolar (Karnataka) and graduated from Central College, Bangalore in BA. To arrange his daily spending’s he used to take tuitions and earn.  He got scholarship from the government of Mysore and pursued his engineering degree from one of the best   and  3^rd  oldest college in Asia.

On completion of his education in Engineering from the Poona College of Science. He received an appointment as Assistant Engineer in the Public Works Department of the Government of Bombay. In those days one such appointment in the Department was guaranteed every year to a candidate who headed the list of engineering graduates from the Bombay University.

Works

1)Assistant Engineer in Bombay, 1885; served in Nasik, Khandesh, and Pune

2.Services lent to Municipality of Sukkur, Sind, 1894;  

·        He designed and carried out waterworks for the municipality

3)Executive Engineer, Surat, 1896

4)Assistant Superintending Engineer, Pune, 1897–1899; visited China and Japan, 1898

5)Executive Engineer for Irrigation, Pune, 1899

6)Sanitary Engineer, Bombay, and member, Sanitary Board, 1901; gave evidence before Indian Irrigation Commission, water supply and drainage system

·        Sir M Visvesvaraya got the privilege to went to Aden and study the different techniques in the drainage system and water supply

7)Designed and constructed automatic gates patented by him at Lake Fife Storage Reservoir; introduced a new system of irrigation known as "Block System", 1903; represented the Bombay Government at Simla Irrigation Commission, 1904

 

·        Sir MV made the first automatic gate to drain water. Firstly he used this technique at the Khadakvasla Reservoir  near Pune  in 1903. For this, the amount of royalty was presented to him by the government. But Visvesvaraya refused to take it. He asked the government to use this money for other development projects.

8)Superintending Engineer, 1907; visited Egypt, Canada, United states, and Russia(1908)

·        His contribution Was instrumental in the protection of vishakhapatanam port from seawater

9)Consulting Engineer to Hyderabad.

·        He supervised and carried out engineering works on Musi river; 1909

·        Vishweshwaraya caught the attention of the people after setting up a flood protection for city of Hyderabad

10)Chief Engineer and Secretary to Government of Mysore, 1909

·        He is famous for the construction of Krishna Sagar dam in Mandya district of Karnataka.

·        It is the largest reservoir ever built in India up to the date of its construction in 1912, either during the British Administration or before.

Nearly 100,000 acres of land are already brought under irrigation-more will follow. It supplies power to the gold fields in the Kolar District. It supplies electric light and power to the cities of Mysore and Bangalore besides a large number of towns and villages in the State. It has led to the extensive cultivation of sugarcane which, combined with power, has rendered possible the Mysore sugar mills industry, one of the largest of that class of mills in India. It produces power to run the cotton mills in Mysore and Bangalore and various other industries of lesser importance.

11)Diwan of Mysore, Public Works Department and Railway, 1913

 

·        In view of his ability, the post of Dewan (Chief Minister) of Mysore was handed over to him in 1908 and full responsibility of development works was given to him. After this, he created new records in the fields of agriculture, irrigation, industry,banking, iron& still work and education.

·        He established Mysore university, No Indian State in those days had a university. This was the first attempt in that direction and at the time the attempt was made nobody believed that it could be realized in the conditions then existing.

·        Many industries establish during his tenure as the Diwan.

·        In1917 he started a government engineering college in Bengaluru. later renamed the college as Vishweshwaraya college of engineering.

12)Board of Directors of Tata Steel, 1927–1955

 

Visvesvaraya did revolutionary work in different parts of the country. He is the mastermind behind all works mentioned above.

 

Honours and Awards

·        M Vishveshvaraya received the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest honour in 1955.

·        King George V. ,for his contribution to society honoured him as the Knight Commander of the British India Empire(KCIE)

·        He was called the ‘Father of the modern Mysore State”

·        He was the pioneer of Indian engineering hence called  “The Father of Indian engineering”

·        His Birthday is celebrated as Engineers day not only in India but also in Shri Lanka and Tanzania in his memory

 

When homespun and handloom clothes was national costume at that time, Vishveshvaraya never forsaken his dressing style, the source of local folklore.

Once upon a time. Sir MV was travelling in train. He pulled the chain of the train. The train stopped. All the passengers started quarrelling and gossipping. The guard also came and asked who pulled the chain? Sir MV said- The railway track is uprooted ahead. The guard asked - how do you know? Said – The sound of the train has changed. When people reached there later, it was actually a rail fracture.

It is chiefly his patriotism, his enthusiasm, and his unflinching advocacy which converted, what was once little more than a dream of the future into a living creation, and his name will always be remembered.

“There is nothing I believe more strongly than getting young people interested in science and engineering for a better tommorow for all humankind.”

                                                                                                                              -Sir M. Vishveshvaraya

Credits: Kirti Shisode, Team Inspirational Saturday

Source Credits: Wikipedia

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