*M. Visvesvaraya,* born on 15 September 1861, was an Indian civil engineer and statesman and the 19th Diwan of Mysore, who served from 1912 to 1919. He received India's highest honour, the *Bharat Ratna,* in 1955. He was knighted as a *Knight Commander of the British Indian Empire (KCIE)* by King George V for his contributions to the public good. 15 September is celebrated as *Engineer's Day* in India, Sri Lanka and Tanzania in his memory. He is held in high regard as a pre-eminent engineer of India.
