National Engineering Day is observed in India, Srilanka and Tanzania to commemorate Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya’s contribution towards engineering on September 15 every year. And what better way to celebrate it than to pay tribute to M Visvesvaraya, India’s first engineer? Visvesvaraya was an Indian engineer who was a pioneer in the development of the engineering field in India. He was born on September 15, 1861, in a small village in Karnataka.
Visvesvaraya made many important contributions to the development of India’s engineering industry. He was responsible for the construction of several dams, including the Krishna Raja Sagara Dam. His efforts in engineering led him to be awarded the prestigious Bharat Ratna award in 1955.
However, there are many lesser-known facts about Visvesvaraya that are not widely known. Here we have compiled some of these facts to help us appreciate the great engineer even more:
Visvesvaraya wrote a book titled ‘Constructing India’. It was published in 1920 and was written as an instruction manual for aspiring engineers.
- He also wrote a book titled ‘Rural Industrialization in India’. This book was a detailed study of rural industrialization and was published in 1931.
- Visvesvaraya helped establish the Government Engineering College in Bengaluru, which is now known as the Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology (Sir MVIT).
- In addition, he also designed several important canals in India.
- Visvesvaraya was a strong believer in education and encouraged people to pursue higher studies in engineering and technology fields.
- His last project before retiring from public service at the age of 90 was the construction of the Mokama bridge over the river Ganga in Bihar.
So there you have it – a few lesser-known facts about India’s first engineer M Visvesvaraya! As we celebrate National Engineering Day today, let’s take a moment to appreciate his immense contributions to the development of India’s engineering industry and honour his legacy by striving for excellence in our own endeavours.