Mysuru and Engineering

Mysuru City, was the erstwhile Capital of the Mysuru Kingdom, prior to India's indepence from the British in 1947. After the independence, Mysuru Kingdom got merged into the Indian union, and a new state was carved out called Karnataka, with Bengaluru City as the Capital. Bengaluru today is well known for its startup ecosystem, tech savviness and the large software industry.

Historically Mysuru City has produced great Engineers who have greatly contributed to the development of both Mysuru and India.

Some noted Mysuru origin Engineers:

Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya

Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, KCIE (popularly known as Sir MV; 15 September 1860 – 14 April 1962), FATHER OF ENGINEERS, was an Indian engineer, scholar, statesman and the Diwan of Mysore from 1912 to 1918. He is a recipient of the Indian Republic's highest honour, the Bharat Ratna, in 1955.

Every year, on his birthday, 15 September is celebrated as Engineer's Day in India. He is best remembered for the instrumental role he played in the construction of the Krishna Raja Sagara Lake and dam in 1924.

His work was becoming so popular that the Government of India sent him to Aden to study water supply and drainage system in 1906-07. He did so and designed a project based on his study which was implemented in Aden.

The Visakhapatnam port was in danger of being eroded from the sea. Visvesvaraya with his high intelligence and capabilities came up with a good solution to solve this issue.

He was appointed as the Chief Engineer of Mysore State in 1909 and as the Diwan of the princely state of Mysore in 1912, a position he held for seven years. As the Diwan, he made immense contribution towards the overall development of the state.

He helped in founding of the Government Engineering College at Bangalore in 1917 which was later renamed as the Visvesvaraya College of Engineering in his honor.

He is known for revolutionising the flood control system in Hyderabad and was the chief engineer of the Krishnarajasagaladam near Mysore. He is famous for inventing “automatic locks” and “block irrigation systems”, which are considered engineering wonders. In 1895, he devised an efficient way to filter water through “collector wells,” which were rarely seen anywhere in the world. Recognising his achievement, he received India’s highest award, Bharat Ratna. His birthday is on September 15th and is celebrated as Engineer’s Day.

Sriram Venkatasubba Setty (Prof S V Setty)

Popularly known as S.V. Setty (1879–1918) was an Indian aviator and professor from Mysore, Karnataka, India. He was known as the first Indian aviator, assisting with the design of the Avro 504.

Setty was born on 12 December 1879, in Mysore. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Maharaja's College before enrolling in the engineering college at Guindy, Madras, Tamil Nadu. From Guindy, he transferred to Thomason College and then to Roorkee, where he completed his engineering degree.

In his early days, he worked in the Mysore Public Works Department as an assistant engineer until 1909. He won a scholarship from the Mysore government to Faraday House, London, where he studied for a diploma in electrical engineering. He gained practical experience at firms in Rugby, Wolverhampton and London. During this time, he also became an associate member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers

In May 1911, Setty joined A.V. Roe and Company (AVRO), at that time the only British company specializing in building aircraft in England. On 12 March 1912, he built an aircraft with some help and tested it. His first flight was successful, even at low power. John Robertson Duigan, impressed by the maiden trial flight, complimented Setty and he even concluded a deal with Avro. This aircraft was later named the Avro Duigan.

Setty's aircraft design then became the basis for Avro 500 series built by A. V. Roe. Later, in May 1912, he started designing a new biplane aircraft. The design was published in the Modern Review monthly magazine (July 1912, India), and it was different from the Avro 500. After completing its design, on 30 June 1912 he left for India, On 12 June 1912, Setty received a gold medal by A. V. Roe for General Proficiency in Aeronautics.

History of Mysuru City

The word Mysuru is derived from the word "mahishur" or “Mahishasurana Ooru", which means the town of Mahishasura in Kannada, the local language.

Mysuru has been associated with the Puranic story found in the Devi Bhagavatha. According to the story in the Devi Purana, Mysuru was ruled by the demon King Mahishasura who was a buffalo-headed monster. In response to the prayer by the Gods and Goddesses to save them from the demon, Goddess Parvathi, took birth as Chamundeshwari and killed the monster on top of the Chamundi hill near Mysuru. Hence the hill and the city have the names Chamundi Hill and Mysuru respectively.

There is an inscription in Mysuru by the Hoysalas that dates back to the 11th and 12th century. The Mysuru was ruled by Gangas, Chalukyas, Cholas and Hoysalas. After the Hoysalas came, the Vijayanagar Kings and then the Mysuru Yadu dynasty came to power in 1399A.D.

This dynasty also contributed to temple building in Mysuru. Bettada Chamaraja Wadiyar, the raja of Mysuru rebuilt the fort of Mysuru and made his headquarters and called the city 'Mahishura Nagara' meaning the city of Mahishur. Many inscriptions done in the 17th century and later refer to Mysuru as 'Mahishuru'.

During the reign of Krishnaraja Wadiyar III the town of Mysuru expanded and moved beyond the walls of the fort. Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV developed Mysuru into a beautiful city with excellent planning. Under his reign Mysuru became famous for its wide roads, magnificent building and elegant parks. Today Mysuru is a modern city that has managed to retain its quaint old world charm. Today Mysuru in famous in the world for its sandalwood and rosewood artifacts, stone sculptures, incense sticks, inlay work with ivory and its exquisite silk sarees.