Sir M.Visvesvaraya
by Mala Kumar and illustrated by Sheshadri Mokshagundam
“Sir M.Visvesvaraya - The Builder of Dams, Bridges and a Nation” by Mala Kumar and illustrated by Sheshadri Mokshagundam. Published by Pratham. A book about Sir M.V. who took bold decisions and never shied away from doing hard work.
The book starts off with a young girl Mangala dropping books as she tries to reach for an old trunk. Her mother comes rushing and stumbles upon an old book which Sir M.V had autographed for her great grandmother. She tells Mangala that her great grandmother could go to college only because of him. This fact piqued Mangala’s interest immediately and she wanted to know how Sir M.V who was an eminent engineer had played a role with her great grandmother’s education. Amma tells her the story of Sir M.V by taking her to his house in Muddenahalli where he was born.
The house in Muddenahalli is surrounded by rocky hills. Sir M.V was born there in 1860. As a child, he had to walk quite far to reach school. His frail frame caused a teacher to remark that he wouldn’t live long. But this did not deter him and his family who valued education a lot. He had to face trying circumstances by the time he reached college. But hard work and determination ensured that he sailed through his studies with ease. As an engineer, he worked in Bombay presidency followed by stints in Hyderabad and Mysore. Read the book to know his awe inspiring journey and his immense contributions to the progress of Mysore State as well as many other places in India.
My 8.5 year old son and I enjoyed reading the book. The book was a perfect means of introducing the great man to him. He had a school trip planned to Muddenahalli this week and I was delighted to find this book staring at me when I walked into the Atta Galatta popup bookstore at the Bangalore Lit Fest last weekend. There was no way I wasn’t buying it :) Added to that, we met the author who was kind enough to sign it for us. After reading the book, he was even more keener to visit Muddenahalli.
It was interesting to know that the book came about when the author stumbled upon a long forgotten autographed copy of Sir M.V’s book from her grandfather’s collection when she was rearranging her bookshelves. The illustrations are by Sir M.V’s great grand nephew. Old photographs have also been used in the book. Overall the book is a MUST READ to know about the great man whose birthday is celebrated as National Engineers Day in India.
Recommended Age
The book is level 4 and apt for children aged 8 and above.
Reasons to Read
For introducing the story of Sir M.V who continues to inspire people to this day even after several generations and his contributions to the progress of our country.
Where to buy from?
The publishers Pratham Books here.
An independent bookstore, Funky Rainbow, from where I buy many of my books.
P.S - The book can be read online here.