Visvesvaraya

Bengaluru

M Visvesvaraya

Karnataka

Krishnaraja Sagar Dam

Visvesvaraya Engineering College

Visvesvaraya Industrial

Nandi Hills

Agricultural University

Shakuntala Krishnamurty

Bharata Ratna

laid a strong foundation to makea prominent centre of industry, trade and commerceSiris considered as the chief architect of modern. September 15 is observed as Engineer’s Day — his birthday — as a tribute to this globally renowned eminent engineer, scholar and statesman.Reams have been written about his life, ideals and works. They have been a source of inspiration to many in leading a life of discipline, commitment, integrity and honesty. He laid a strong foundation to make Bengaluru a prominent centre of industry, trade and commerce. Even a list of a few of his contributions is enough to realise the enormous service he rendered to the city and the state:near Mysore, Bhadravati Iron and Steel Plant. Government Soap Factory in Bangalore, State Bank of Mysore, Mysore Chamber of Commerce, Public Libraries in Bengaluru and Mysore; Kannada Sahitya Parishat, Hebbal Agricultural school, Century Club and. Most of these institutions have completed hundred years and still going strong.and Technological museum on Kasturaba Road is a contribution by the All India Manufacturers’ Organisation of Mysore to honour MV. The foundation stone was laid by B D Jatti in 1958. Inaugurated by the then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1962, it was constructed in Cubbon Park.When citizens of Bengaluru celebrated his birth centenary at Lalbagh, Nehru flew down to Bangalore by a special plane to honour one of the greatest sons of the country in the presence of Jayachamaraja Wodeyar. Everybody showered MV with encomiums, and when his turn came to speak, everybody was curious to know what he would say. The grand old man stood up and just said, ‘Thank you’, and sat down. That was it. Those two words epitomizes basic principles of his life: ‘Talk Less, Work More.”MV was an epitome of simple living and high thinking. His will read, “Should my death occur in Bangalore city, it is my request to those around me at the time, that my body should be quickly taken away in a motor to my village nearand cremated there. The ceremony may be humble and simple.” Sir MV’s statues and busts in KR Circle, Institute of Engineers and some other places have been inspiring people of Bengaluru, particularly the youth.When this columnist was writing a series of articles on MV in 2002, one Mr Chayapathi informed that there was a rock in ‘A’ block belonging to, on which MV used to sit to review plans and drawings.When they were students, Chayapathi and his friends approached him with reverence and curiosity. He enquired about their studies and advised them to study hard and come up well in life.Later, when I verified this information with MV’s daughter-in-law,, she confirmed his frequent visits to this place. Later, MV Rock Memorial was inaugurated in 2003.Besides various honours and titles conferred on him by the British and many prestigious institutions in India, he was honoured within 1955. This message of MV is more than enough to the present generation to lead a meaningful life.“Problems of life, even acute problems need not depress us. Life is always a predicament and the world is constituted by challenges. But challenge is an opportunity for all of us. A man whose only aim is to seek pleasure and avoid pain does not have the basis for a well-deserved successful life.”(The writer is a historian)