Sir M.Vishweshwaraiah (SirMV)
Born
in a poor family in Muddenahalli of Karnataka (erstwhile Mysore State) on
15-Sep-1860, Sir MV went to Bangalore for higher education. After graduation,
he went on to become one of the greatest engineers & statesman India had
ever produced. His contribution was not just in engineering infrastructure
projects (like dams & bridges) but he has also been instrumental in setting
up of several industries & sectors including iron & steel, soaps, silk,
sugar, banking & aeronautics.
We celebrate Sir M Vishweshwaraiah’s
birthday as Engineers’ Day
Born: September 15, 1860
Died: April 14, 1962
Achievements: Architect of Krishnarajasagar Dam; devised steel doors to
stop the wasteful flow of water in dams; honored with Bharat Ratna. Sir Mokshagundam Vishweshwaraya was an eminent engineer and statesman and played
a key role in building of modern India.
Sir M. Vishweshwaraiah was born on September 15, 1860 in Muddenahalli village in
the Kolar district of the erstwhile princely state of Mysore (present day
Karnataka). His father Srinivasa Shastry was a Sanskrit scholar and Ayurvedic
practitioner. His mother Venkachamma was a religious lady. He lost his father
when he was only 15 years old.
Vishweshwaraiah completed his early education in Chikkaballapur and then went to
Bangalore for higher education. He cleared his B.A. Examination in 1881. He got
some assistance from the Government of Mysore and joined the Science College in
Poona to study Engineering. In 1883 he ranked first in the L.C.E. and the
F.C.E. Examinations (equivalent to B.E. Examination of today).
When Sir M. Vishweshwaraiah cleared his engineering, Government of Bombay offered
him a job and appointed him Assistant Engineer at Nasik. As an engineer, he
achieved some marvelous feats. He planned a way of supplying water from the
river Sindhu to a town called Sukkur. He devised a new irrigation system called
the Block System. He devised steel doors to stop the wasteful flow of water in
dams. He was the architect of the Krishnaraja Sagara dam in Mysore. The list is
endless.
Sir M. Vishweshwaraiah lead a very simple life. He was a strict vegetarian and a
teetotaler. He was known for his honesty and integrity. In 1912, Maharaja of
Mysore appointed Visvesvaraya as his Dewan. Before accepting the position of
Dewan of Mysore, he invited all his relatives for dinner. He told them very
clearly that he would accept the prestigious office on the condition that none
of them would approach him for favours. As Dewan of Mysore, he worked tirelessly
for educational and industrial development of the state. When he was the Dewan
many new industries came up. The Sandal Oil Factory, the Soap Factory, the
Metals Factory, the Chrome Tanning Factory , were some of them. Of the many
factories he started the most important is the Bhadravati Iron and Steel Works.
Sir M. Vishweshwaraiah voluntarily retired as Dewan of Mysore in 1918. He worked
actively even after his retirement. Sir M. Visvesvaraya was honored with Bharat
Ratna in 1955 for his invaluable contribution to the nation. When he reached
the age of 100, the Government of India brought out a stamp in his honor. Sir
Visvesvaraya passed away on April 14, 1962 at the age of 101.
Some of the Honours and laurels conferred on
Sir M. Vishweshwaraiah
- 1904: Honorary Membership of
London Institution of Civil Engineers for an unbroken period of 50 years
- 1906:
"Kaisar-i-Hind" in recognition of his services
- 1911: C.I.E. (Companion of
the Indian Empire) at the Delhi Darbar
- 1915: K.C.I.E. (Knight
Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire)
- 1921: D.Sc. - Calcutta
University
- 1931: LLD - Bombay
University
- 1937: D.Litt - Benaras Hindu
University
- 1943: Elected as an Honorary
Life Member of the Institution of Engineers (India)
- 1944: D.Sc. - Allahabad
University
- 1948: Doctorate - LLD.,
Mysore University
- 1953: D.Litt - Andhra
University
- 1953: Awarded the Honorary
Fellowship of the Institute of Town Planners, India
- 1955: Conferred ' BHARATHA
RATNA'
- 1958: 'Durga Prasad Khaitan
Memorial Gold Medal' by the Royal Asiatic Society Council of Bengal
- 1959: Fellowship of the
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
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