Mokshagundam Visweswarayya

Shri Mokshagundam Visweswarayya was an eminent Engineer par excellence was born in Muddenahalli Village of Kolar district which is now a part of Karnataka State. In fact Shri Visweswarayya belongs to a Telugu Brahmin family. He is revered as Kannda Jati Pita by people of Karnataka.

Engineers’ Day

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His day of birth is celebrated by Indian Republic as Engineers’ day. He did his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1881 from Central College of Bengalore. Then he did his Engineering at Pune College of Engineering.

His held his first job as engineer in Mumbai Municipality. After that he joined Indian Irrigation Commission. He designed and obtained patent for his Automatic Weir flood gates in 1903 which were first installed in Khadakvasla dam near Pune. Later these gates were installed in Tigra Dam – Gwalior and Krishna Raj Sagar Dam – Mysore of Brindavan Gardens fame. KRS dam holds largest water reservoir in Asia in those days. He supervised the construction of the KRS Dam from foundation to inauguration stage.

He was instrumental in river training and flood management works of Deccan. Shri Mokshagundam Visweswarayya was also instrumental in flood management of Musi river. Gandipet and Hussain sagar (Tank bund ) were the gifts of Shri MV only.

He visited China, Japan, Egypt, Canada, United States of America and Russia. He went to Aden (Part of India in those days) to advise flood and drainage works there.

Father of Modern Mysore

During his period of service with the Government of Mysore state, He encouraged industries as Diwan of Mysore. He was responsible for the founding of, (under the Patronage of Mysore Government), the Mysore Soap Factory, the Parasitoide Laboratory, the Mysore Iron & Steel Works (now known as Visvesvaraya Iron and Steel Limited) in Bhadravathi, the Sri Jayachamarajendra Polytechnic Institute, the Bangalore Agricultural University and the State Bank of Mysore.

Government of India honored him with India’s highest Civilian Badge of “Bharata Ratna” in 1955.