India celebrates Engineer’s Day on September 15 every year, which is also the birth anniversary of Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, also known as Sir MV, who was the first civil engineer of India and was also considered the “Father of Indian Engineering.” He was also the 19th Diwan of Mysore, who served from 1912 to 1918. Being the chief engineer of many key projects in India, he also overlooked the flood protection system of Hyderabad. This day is celebrated as Visvesvaraya Jayanti to honour his outstanding contributions in the field of engineering. He is also credited with inspiring future generations with his exceptional body of engineering work. Engineer’s Day, therefore, serves as a reminder to appreciate all the hard work and innovations of engineers in different fields who have made life a lot easier for us with their projects. On the occasion of Visvesvaraya Jayanti, here are five things you should know about Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya. Engineer’s Day 2022 in India Date & Significance: Know All About Honouring the Contributions of Engineers on Visvesvaraya Jayanti

1. Where Was He Born?

Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya was born on September 15, 1861, in Muddenahalli village, which is in the Chikkaballapura district of erstwhile Mysore state. He lost his father when he was merely 15 years old. His father had been a Sanskrit scholar.

2. His Education

He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from the University of Madras. He then did civil engineering at the College of Science in Pune and ranked first in the L.C.E. and the F.C.E. Examinations in 1883.

3. Early Job Prospects

He was offered a job as an Assistant Engineer at Nasik by the Government of Bombay. He was involved in many engineering projects and was the brains behind Krishnaraja Sagar Dam in Mysore. He patented and installed an irrigation system with water floodgates at a reservoir near Pune.

4. What Is He Known For?

Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya is best known for his design of the ‘block system’ of irrigation to boost food supply and storage levels, flood controlling mechanism, and for his automatic floodgates for dams that caused excess inflow to pass safely without increasing the water levels. These are a few among the many things he was known for.

5. Titles and Awards

He was honoured with the title of Knight Commander of the Order of Indian Empire by King George V. He was also honoured with the highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna, by the Government of India in 1955 for his exemplary contributions in the field of engineering.

Engineering communities, colleges and private sector companies all pay their tributes to Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya and celebrate the day by adorning the statues and portraits of Sir MV with beautiful garlands to appreciate all his contributions to the field and to society in general. Prominent personalities deliver seminars on this day to highlight Sir MV’s inventions and accomplishments in the field of engineering. On this day to celebrate all engineers, we wish you a very Happy Visvesvaraya Jayanti 2022!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 15, 2022 09:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).