Father of Engineering: Interesting Facts about M Visvesvaraya

Father of Engineering in India Overview

Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, usually known by his initials, MV, was an Indian civil engineer, administrator, and statesman who served as the 19th Diwan of Mysore from 1912 to 1918. Visvesvaraya is considered one of India's best civil engineers, and his birthday, September 15, is observed as Engineer's Day in India, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania each year. He is also known as "the creator of modern Mysore." He is also the most popular figure in the southern Indian state of Karnataka.

Father of Engineering in India: Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya

Sir Mokshagundam Vishveshvarya, the Father of Indian Engineering, was born on September 15, 1861. He was often referred to as the "Father of Modern Mysore State" (Karnataka). He is well-known for his distinctive contribution to engineering and planning. Visvesvaraya worked as a construction engineer for the British government before becoming Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Mysore. In 1955, the Government of India awarded him the Bharata Ratna for his contributions to the Kingdom of Mysore and the Republic of India.

Father of Engineering Branch Highlights

The following table gives details about M. Visvesvaraya-

Father of Engineering Branch in India Early Life

M. Visvesvaraya was born on September 15, 1861, in Muddenahalli, Kingdom of Mysore (in present-day Chikkaballapur district, Karnataka), to Mokshagundam Srinivasa Shastry and Venkatalakshmi in a Telugu Brahmin family. His forefathers came from Mokshagundam, a hamlet in present-day Andhra Pradesh, some three hundred years before Visvesvaraya was born. Visvesvaraya completed his elementary and secondary schooling in Bangalore before graduating from the University of Madras with a Bachelor of Science (BSc). He then attended the Pune College of Engineering (formerly the University of Bombay's College of Science) and graduated as an engineer with a Diploma in Civil Engineering (DCE).

He joined the Deccan Club and served as its first secretary; therefore, he was well connected with the progressives in Pune, including Sir R. G. Bhandarkar, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, and Justice Mahadev Govind Ranade, who were all members of the club.

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Father of Engineering in India: Career Life 

Engineering Career

In 1885, Visvesvaraya began working as an assistant engineer in the Public Works Department, Bombay, in the Bombay Presidency. Visvesvaraya was asked to join the Indian Irrigation Commission in 1899, where he executed a complicated irrigation system on the Deccan Plateau and invented and patented an automated weir water floodgate system, which was initially built in 1903 at Khadakvasla Dam near Pune. Later, he was appointed head engineer of the Laxmi Talav Dam in Kolhapur. Around 1906/1907, the British Government dispatched Visvesvaraya to the British Colony of Aden (present-day Yemen) to research water supply and drainage systems. His proposed project was effectively implemented in Aden.

Visvesvaraya went on a global tour to study industrialized nations after opting for voluntary retirement in 1908. He then worked for Nizam Osman Ali Khan for a brief time. He was one of the key engineers of Hyderabad's flood protection system, and he proposed flood relief methods for the city, which was constantly threatened by the Musi river. When he constructed a flood protection system for the city, he became a superstar. He played a key role in the development of a mechanism to defend Visakhapatnam's port from sea erosion. 

Premiership

Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV appointed Visvesvaraya as Diwan of Mysore in 1912. He was in the army for nearly seven years, until 1918. Visvesvaraya contributed to the overall growth of the kingdom of Mysore with the help of the maharaja. Visvesvaraya was Diwan during his premiership and was responsible for the establishment of factories and institutions funded by the maharaja, such as the Mysore soap factory, the parasite laboratory, the Mysore iron and steel works in Bhadravathi, etc. During his stint as Diwan, the Bangalore Press was also founded.

He was also a driving force behind the establishment of Government Engineering College (now University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering) in Bangalore in 1917, one of India's earliest engineering colleges. He inaugurated a number of new railway lines in Mysore Railways (now part of Southwestern Indian Railways). During his stint as Diwan, Visvesvaraya supported private investment in industry. He was crucial in developing a road development plan between Tirumala and Tirupati.

Contribution

Sir Visveshvaraya was the main engineer on the famous Krishna Raja Sagara dam project (KRS). It is one of India's largest dams. The dam was built between 1911 and 1938 on a budget of 10:34 million rupees. It provides water to 120,000 acres of irrigation area, allowing millions of inhabitants in the states of Mysore and Banglore to utilize it. It provides water to 120, 000 acres of irrigation area, allowing millions of inhabitants in the states of Mysore and Banglore to utilize it.

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Father of Engineering Branch: Career Timeline

1. Assistant Engineer in Bombay, 1885; served in Nasik, Khandesh (mainly in Dhule), and Pune.
2. Assistant Superintending Engineer, Pune, 1897–1899; visited China and Japan in 1898.
3. Board of Directors of Tata Steel, 1927–1955.
4. Chief Engineer and Secretary to Government of Mysore, 1909.
5. Consulting Engineer to Hyderabad/Nizam State supervised and carried out engineering works on Musi river; Hyderabad floods of 1909.
6. 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.
7. Government at Simla Irrigation Commission, 1904; on special duty, 1905.
8. Diwan of Mysore, Public Works Department, and Railway, 1913.
9. Executive Engineer for Irrigation, Pune, 1899.
10. Executive Engineer, Surat, 1896.
11. Retired from British Service, 1909.
12. Sanitary Engineer, Bombay, and member, Sanitary Board, 1901;, gave evidence before the Indian Irrigation Commission.
13. Services lent to Municipality of Sukkur, Sind, 1894; designed and carried out waterworks for the municipality.
14. Superintending Engineer, 1907; visited Egypt, Canada, the United States, and Russia, 1908.

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Father of Engineering in India: Innovations and Achievements

1. Sir Visveshvaraya made significant contributions to civil engineering, which were connected to inventive and technical progress.
2. During the early 1900s, he tackled the significant challenges associated with flood-like events across the country.
3. He also travelled to Japan, the United States, and European and African countries to learn about new technology utilised by industrialised countries.
4. His knowledge from other nations aided in the implementation of technological breakthroughs in our country.
5. From 1906 to 1907, he was dispatched to Aden, a port city in Yemen, to examine the water supply and drainage system for adoption in India.

Father of Engineering Branch: Authored Books

The following are some of the books authored by Sir Visvesvaraya-

1. Memoirs of My Working Life
2. Planned Economy for India
3. Reconstructing India

Father of Engineering in India Major Establishments

The following are some of the major establishments of Sir Visvesvaraya-

1. Century Club and Women's Clubs
2. Mysore Chamber of Commerce
3. Mysore Sandal Oil Factory and the Mysore Soap Factory
4. Mysore University, State Bank of Mysore
5. Public Libraries in Mysore and Bangalore
6. Sri jayachamarajendra Polytechnic Institute
7. University of Agricultural Science

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Father of Engineering Branch: Awards and Recognition

King Edward VII made Visvesvaraya a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire (CIE) in 1911. Visvesvaraya was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE) by King George V in 1915, when he was Diwan of Mysore, for his contributions to the public welfare. Visvesvaraya was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor, after the country's independence in 1955. He was awarded honorary membership in the Institution of Civil Engineers in London, a fellowship from the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, and many honorary degrees from eight Indian colleges, including D.Sc., LL.D., and D.Litt. He was the president of the Indian Science Congress in 1923.

Recognition

Visvesvaraya was honored in a variety of professions, most notably education and engineering. Visvesvaraya Technological University in Belagavi was named in his honor, as were prominent colleges such as the University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering, Bangalore; the Sir M. Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology, Bangalore; the Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur; the Visvesvaraya Hostel, IIT (BHU) Varanasi; and the Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum, Bangalore. Visvesvaraya's alma mater, the College of Engineering in Pune, dedicated a monument in his honor. 

Two metro stations in India are named after him: one on thePurple Line in Bangalore (Sir M. Visveshwaraya Station, Central College) and another on the Pink Line in Delhi (Sir Vishweshwaraiah Moti Bagh).

Father of Engineering in India: Death

Visvesvaraya died on April 12/14, 1962, at the age of 100. Visvesvaraya was well-known for his genuineness, organizational skills, and devotion to his cause. Visvesvaraya's love of the Kannada language was a significant aspect of his personality. He established Kannada Parishat for the advancement of Kannada. He desired that seminars for Kannada supporters be organized and held entirely in Kannada. Every year on September 15, Vishveshvarya Jayanti is observed.

Memorial at Muddenahalli

The Visvesvaraya National Memorial Trust preserves a memorial to Visvesvaraya at Muddenahalli, his birthplace. His accolades, titles, and personal items are on display at the monument, including his living room, spectacles, mugs, books, and the block on which his visiting cards were made. There are models of the Krishna Raja Sagar Dam, which Visvesvaraya planned and oversaw the construction of. The memorial is located next to his house, which has been renovated and is considered a shrine by the people.

Father of Engineering Branch: Interesting Facts

1. Sir Visvesvaraya designed the automated floodgates that were erected in the reservoirs of the dams. 
2. It enabled safe access to input without raising the water level. 
3. In 1903, the gates were initially activated at Khadakvasla Reservoir near Pune. 
4. It was later erected at Gwalior's Tigra dam and the Krishna Raja Sagara dam (KRS). 
5. He prevented the Bhadravathi factory from shutting down. 
6. He is also recognized for bringing Mysore Iron and Steel Works up to date. 
7. He turned it around from a losing venture to a lucrative one. 
8. Later, the facility was renamed the Vishveshvarya Iron and Steel Plant, and it became a subsidiary of the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL).