| Sir Moshakgundam Visvesvaraya, KCIE ಮೋಕ್ಷಗುಂಡಂ ವಿಶ್ವೇಶ್ವರಯ್ಯ |
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| Born | September 15, 1860 Muddenahalli, Kanivenarayanapura Hobli, Chikballapur Taluk, Chikballapur District, Kingdom of Mysore (now Karnataka) |
| Died | April 14, 1962 (aged 101) Bangalore |
| Occupation | Engineer, Diwan of Mysore |
| Website Visvesvarayya in Karnataka.com |
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Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, KCIE (other spellings include Visvesvaraya, Visweswaraiah, Vishweshwaraiah; Kannada: ಶ್ರೀ ಮೋಕ್ಷಗುಂಡಂ ವಿಶ್ವೇಶ್ವರಯ್ಯ; 15 September 1861 - 14 April 1962) was a legendary Indian engineer and statesman born in Muddenahalli, near Kanivenarayanapura, Chikballapur District of Karnataka State. He is a recipient of the Indian republic's highest honour, the Bharat Ratna, in 1955. He was also knighted by the British for his myriad contributions to the public good. Every year, 15 September is celebrated as the Engineer's Day in India in his memory. He is held in high regard as the first and preeminent Engineer of India.
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Biography
Early years
Sir M. V. was born to Srinivasa Sastry and Venkachamma at Muddenahalli village, Kanivenarayanapura hobli, Chikkaballapur District of present-day Karnataka, in what was then the princely state of Mysore. His father Srinivasa Sastry was a Sanskrit scholar and an authority on the Hindu scriptures, besides being an Ayurvedic practitioner. Sir M. V.'s ancestors actually hailed from the village of Mokshagundam near Giddalur in the Prakasam District of present-day Andhra Pradesh; they had migrated to Mysore state perhaps three centuries ago. The family name "Mokshagundam", preserves the memory of his association with Andhra Pradesh.
The young Visvesvaraya lost his father at the age of 15. The family was resident at Kurnool of Andhra Pradesh when this calamity befell them; they moved back to Muddenahalli thereafter. Sir M. V. attended primary school at Chikkaballapur and high school at Bangalore. He earned his B.A. from the Madras University in 1881 and later studied civil engineering at the College of Science, Pune, now known as the College of Engineering, Pune (COEP).
Career as engineer
Upon graduating as an engineer, Visvesvaraya took up a job with the Public Works Department (PWD) of Bombay now known as Mumbai, and was later invited to join the Indian Irrigation Commission. He implemented an extremely intricate system of irrigation in the Deccan area. He also designed and patented a system of automatic weir water floodgates which were first installed in 1903 at the Khadakvasla reservoir near Pune. These gates were employed to raise the flood supply level of storage in the reservoir to the highest level likely to be attained by its flood without causing any damage to the dam. Based on the success of these gates, the same system was installed at the Tigra dam in Gwalior and the Krishnaraja Sagara (KRS) dam in Mysore.
Visvesvaraya achieved celebrity status when he designed a flood protection system to protect the city of Hyderabad from floods. He was also instrumental in developing a system to protect Vishakapatnam port from sea erosion.
Sir M. V. supervised the construction of the KRS dam across the Cauvery River from concept to inauguration. This dam created the biggest reservoir in Asia at the time it was built[citation needed]. Sir MV was rightly called the "Father of modern Mysore state" (now Karnataka): During his period of service with the Government of Mysore state, he was responsible for founding of, under the aegis of that government, the Mysore Soap Factory, the Parasitoide laboratory, the Bhadravati Iron & Steel Works, the Sri Jayachamarajendra Polytechnic Institute, the Bangalore Agricultural University, the State Bank of Mysore, The Century Club, Mysore Chambers of Commerce and numerous other industrial ventures. He also encouraged private investment in industry during his tenure as Diwan of Mysore. He was known for sincerity, time management and dedication to a cause. He was also instrumental in charting out the plan for road construction between Tirumala and Tirupati.
As the Diwan of Mysore
After opting for voluntary retirement in 1908, Visvesvaraya was appointed Diwan or First Minister of the princely state of Mysore, one of the largest and most important in India. With the support of Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, Maharaja of Mysore, Visvesvaraya made an arguably unprecedented contribution as Diwan to the all-round development of the state. Not only the Krishnaraja Sagara dam and reservoir, the steel mills at Bhadravathi, the Sri Jayachamarajendra Polytechnic Institute at Bangalore, the University of Mysore, Karnataka Soaps & Detergents Limited (KSDL) - Govt Soap Factory [1916] and many other industries and public works owe their inception or active nurturing to him. He was instrumental in the founding of the "Government Engineering College" at Bangalore in 1917, one of the first engineering institutes in India. This institution was later named the "University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering" (UVCE) after its founder. It remains one of the most reputed institutes of engineering in Karnataka.
Honours
While he was the Diwan of Mysore, Visvesvaraya was made Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire by the British for his myriad contributions to the public good. After India attained independence, Sir M. Visvesvaraya was given the nation's highest honour, the Bharat Ratna, in 1955.
Sir M.V. was honoured with honorary membership of the international Institution of Civil Engineers (based in London) and a fellowship of the Indian Institute of Science (based in Bangalore). He was also awarded several honorary doctoral degrees like D.Sc., LL.D., D.Litt. from various universities in India. He was president of the 1923 Session of the Indian Science Congress
The family temple at Muddenahalli
There is an interesting true story about how Sir M.V.'s mother discovered a stone that had an image carved into it. One day, when she was returning home by a bullock cart, she noticed a stone lying in a field at the edge of the road. A few days later, she found the stone still there. After several trips past the stone, she stopped the bullock cart one day and asked the villagers who the stone belonged to. The villagers did not know who the stone belonged to nor how it had got there. The stone was taken to her house and she had a temple constructed which exists to this day.
Memorial at Muddenahalli
There is a beautiful and very picturesque memorial of Sir M. V. located on the family-owned land at Muddenahalli, with the Nandi Hills as a backdrop.
Developments in Muddenahalli
In honor of Sir Visvesvarayya, a number of educational institutions are currently being constructed in the Muddenahalli-Kanivenarayanapura region. Among these is the Sathya Sai Baba University and School of Medicine [1], the elite Indian Institute of Technology Muddenahalli, as well as the 600 crore Visvesvaraya Institute of Advanced Technology [2][3]. These developments will make the historical town of Muddenahalli the premier educational hub in northern Bangalore.
Institutions in his honour
- The Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belgaum, to which nearly all engineering colleges in Karnataka are now affiliated
- The 600 Crore THE GREAT KANNADIGA located in Muddenahalli-Kanivenarayanapura.
- The 600 Crore Visvesvaraya Institute of Advanced Technology located in Muddenahalli-Kanivenarayanapura.
- The University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering, Bangalore popularly known as UVCE, is an engineering college affiliated to the Bangalore University established in the year 1917 by Bharat Ratna Sir M. Visvesvaraya. The college was renamed University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering from its earlier name University College of Engineering, Bangalore in honour of its illustrious founder Sir. M Visvesvaraya.
- Vishweshwarayya Polytechnic College
- Sir M Visvesvaraya Institute Of Technology (popularly known as Sir M.V.I.T), Bangalore, is named after Sir M.V.
- Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (V.N.I.T.), Nagpur (formerly Visvesvaraya Regional College of Engineering) was established in the early 1960s in his honour. The college is among the elite 17 National Institutes of Technology (formerly Regional Engineering Colleges) in India
- The Visvesvaraya Industrial & Technological Museum, Bangalore, set up as part of his birth centenary celebrations
- Visvesvaraya Iron & Steel Limited, a public sector undertaking, in the founding of which he was instrumental
- His alma mater, the College of Engineering, Pune (COEP) has erected a statue in his memory and honour on their campus in central Pune, immediately outside the historic COEP administration building.
- Karnataka Industrial Cooperative Bank Ltd
References
External links
- A list of books on Sir MV, complied by the Institute of Engineers (India)
- Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya – A Visionary Engineer par Excellence (dead link as of 6/9/09)
- A biography of Sir MV
- Another biography of Sir MV (dead link as of 6/9/09)
- Another biography relating several interesting anecdotes (dead link as of 6/9/09)
- Vigyan Prasar (dead link as of 6/9/09)
- On Sir MV's role as founder of the State Bank of Mysore
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by T. Ananda Rao |
Diwan of Mysore | Succeeded by M. Kantaraj Urs |
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