Rare Visvesvaraya speeches published

On his 90th birthday, the legendary engineer spoke about what kept him free of infirmities

A slim book brings together some unpublished lectures and writings of the legendary engineer Sir M Visvesvaraya. Its second edition is slated for release next week.

Maya Chandra, filmmaker, chanced upon a lecture titled ‘Bangalore city and its future,’ delivered by Visvesvaraya on May 23, 1953, at the Bangalore Literary Union.

In it, he calls for a master plan, and proper planning to cope with growing numbers. The population then was 7.76 lakh, with 59,000 living in slums. The city’s population is estimated at about 1.2 crore today.

“I reached out to his family hoping to get hold of other unpublished lectures and found a treasure,” Maya says.

The 130-page book has a foreword by G Venkatasubbaiah, renowned lexicographer and a contemporary of Visvesvaraya. It features tributes by other eminent people of his time, including the Jnanpith laureate Masti Venkatesa Iyengar, who fondly calls him ‘annadaata’ (the one who gives us our food).

It took Maya roughly a year to compile the book. “We got a lot of information from the state archives, the Visvesvaraya National Memorial Trust and Jwalamukhi Mudranalaya, one of the oldest printers in the city,” she explains.

Maya’s journey with Visvesvaraya, who had a worldwide reputation and had served princely Mysuru as Dewan (chief minister), began 20 years ago while working on a corporate project. She spoke to her clients about his worldview, and they decided to use him as a theme for a corporate film.

Research led her to his family, and she has been working with Visvesvaraya’s grandnephew, Satish Mokshagundam, to make films on various aspects of the legendary civil engineer’s life. “We wanted to release the films on Engineers Day, but the pandemic delayed the work,” says Maya.

India observes Visvesvaraya’s birthday, September 15, as Engineers Day.

In a 1950 lecture, delivered in Mumbai (then Bombay) at the invitation of the industrialists of that city, Visvesvaraya said: “I am today entering my 90th year in fair health and strength. My infirmities are few. I can read without glasses, walk two or three miles regularly every day without effort, and I am not overtaken by senility.”

The book was first published in 2017, to coincide with the centennial celebration of Century Club, founded by Visvesvaraya. The second edition will be ready next week.

The book is a collectors copy created with the aim of inspiring people through his lectures and legacy, leading Maya to decide to give the book to people interested in learning about the man. Write to [e-mail] to request a free physical or e-copy.