The legacy of Sir M Visvesvaraya is not merely confined to statues or textbooks. Taking a walk around the city would simply show how his legacy is built into each corner of the city itself. From the Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum to neighbourhoods and institutions that bear his name, one can see the city as a walkthrough of a life that continues to sculpt his imagination of progress.
But for many, that memory begins with a familiar image. As Aparajith Ramnath, author of Engineering a Nation: The Life and Career of M. Visvesvaraya, puts it, most Bengalureans see him as a ‘phenomenal engineer’ and reformer. But, he points out, this is only a fragment of a larger story, stating, “We don’t emphasise enough that he was somebody who had a footprint all over India.” Ramnath explains that while he remains central to the history of Karnataka, his early career took him across the Bombay Presidency, where he spent over two decades working in places like Pune, Udaipur and parts of Gujarat on irrigation and sanitation projects.
Yet, public memory often rests on what is majorly visible. Very often, his contributions beyond the monumental are overlooked. “We speak of the Krishna Raja Sagara dam, the Bhadravati Iron and Steel Works and institutions like the Bank of Mysore. While these are significant, one important contribution was during his tenure as Diwan, he greatly expanded primary education in Mysore state, and emphasised female education.,” Ramnath points out.
If the city mirrors his public achievements, his family preserves a more intimate memory. With Sheshadri Mokshagundam, the great-grand nephew of Sir MV, describing the weight of carrying forward such a legacy. “Every time I speak about Sir MV, it’s a humbling experience. I soak myself fully into the subject, and I submit to the stories passed on to me,” he says. Growing up, he recalls, Visvesvaraya was a figure who ‘had created a respectful distance’ in his mind, whose accomplishments were difficult to fully comprehend at a young age. Yet, at home, he was remembered as simple and grounded. There was also a lighter side to him, often revealed through humour, Sheshadri reminisces, smiling, “He had a crisp sense of humour. On his 92nd birthday, he said old age was regularly knocking on his door but he would send it back, saying he was not home.”
What left a lasting impression, however, was his unwavering integrity. Recalling his appointment as Diwan, Sheshadri shares how Sir MV made one thing clear to the family. “I do not want any of the family members to come to me expecting favours or use my name for any advantages,” Sheshadri quotes the late reformer, saying it was a principle that underscored his belief in hard work and sincerity above all.
Even today, his legacy continues to expand through institutions and renewed commemorations. For Ramnath, what endures is not just memory, but relevance. “The questions he dealt with – what is a developed society, the role of science and technology, how to remove poverty – are still important,” he says, adding, “What truly keeps his legacy alive is not just what he built, but these questions he engaged with when he was alive.” Those questions, he says, will keep returning, with each generation finding its own answers.