INDIA: Every year, on September 15, India observes National Engineer’s Day to recognize and honour the accomplishments of the legendary engineer Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya. The remarkable works of Visvesvaraya are honoured on September 15 as Engineer’s Day in India, Tanzania, and Sri Lanka.
Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya
Born on September 15, 1861, in the Muddenahalli village of Karnataka, Visvesvaraya completed his school education in his hometown and later went to study Bachelor of Arts (BA) at the University of Madras. He later changed his mind and enrolled in the College of Science in Pune to pursue a diploma in civil engineering.
Commonly Known as Sir MV, he undertook a number of challenging projects and produced outstanding infrastructure outcomes throughout his engineering career.
To increase the level of the food supply and storage to the highest levels, he patented and set up an irrigation system with water floodgates at the Khadakvasla reservoir near Pune in 1903. This system is known as the “block system.”
Later, the irrigation system was set up at the Tigra Dam in Gwalior and the Krishnaraja Sagara (KRS) Dam in Mysuru, the latter of which, at the time, produced one of the largest reservoirs in Asia.
According to the Institution of Engineers India, he was also known as the “precursor of economic planning in India” in addition to his contributions to engineering (IEI). His publications “Planned Economy of India” and “Reconstructing India” were released in 1920 and 1934, respectively. While serving as the Diwan of Mysore, he was given a knighthood in 1915, and in 1955, he was given the Bharat Ratna.
On his birthday in 2018, Google released a Doodle to honour his brilliant work that inspired Tata Steel engineers to create an armoured vehicle that could withstand bullets and be utilized in WWII. In 1962, Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya died, leaving behind his works.
Ancient engineers of India
Nala: The first king in history to construct a bridge over the ocean was Rama. But he didn’t accomplish it alone. According to the Valmiki Ramayana, he asked a brilliant engineer by the name of Nala for assistance.
Lord Krishna: Lord Krishna created the Boomerang. He employed the Sudharsana Chakra, which killed his victims and returned to him. The Sisupala Vadham and Gajendra Moksham stories make this very evident.
Bageeratha: The great river Ganges’ course was altered by him. His amazing engineering work transformed the huge forested expanses of contemporary Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal into productive plains. There weren’t many people living in those jungles back then.
Saint Agasthya: He was a Vedic saint and identified the land path from Vindhyas to South India. According to the Puranas, he “subdued the arrogance of the hills,” which is coded language.
Twatri and Maya: Great architects Twatri and Maya are mentioned in the Rig Veda and Puranas. Maya was the more well-known of the two of them. His adherents spread the building construction job throughout all of Central and South America. Buildings from the Maya, Aztec, Inca, and Tolmec civilizations can still be seen today. Mayan works reference the Thousand Pillar Halls that the Nayak monarchs constructed in Madurai and other locations. In addition, the Rig Veda cites 1,000 pillar mandaps and 1,000 oared ships.
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