Yet another gallery, in honour of the late Gopalswamy Doraiswamy Naidu, was thrown open to the public here in Coimbatore on Saturday, to commemorate the death anniversary of the legend.
Chairman of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Dr. B.K. Krishnaraj Vanavarayar, inaugurated the G.D. Naidu Memorial Gallery, situated at the G.D. Science Museum. Considered the early architect and champion of modern industry in Coimbatore, G.D. Naidu became a legend in his lifetime for his unparalleled engineering achievements, and continues to be one through the legacies he left behind.
He is credited with the distinction of manufacturing the first electric motor in India. This “Edison of India” and “wealth creator of Coimbatore” already has several museums and galleries to showcase his contributions to the industry and Coimbatore. Group Editorial Director (Publishing), India Today Group, Raj Chengappa was the guest of honour at the event. The guests recalled the life and achievements of the man, in whose honour the Gallery was set up.
The event was marked by the screening of “G.D. Naidu – The Edison of India”, a biopic of the late industrialist. The film portrays G.D. Naidu’s incisive mind and extraordinary life, highlighting the inspirational range of his scientific inventions. The film, produced by the Films Division of India, won the National Award in the ‘Best Non-feature Film’ in science and technology category in 2019. The award was handed over to the director of the film, K. Ranjith Kumar on December 23, 2019, by the Vice-President of India, Venkaiah Naidu, at the 66th National Film Awards’ ceremony.
The Memorial Gallery, managed by the G.D. Naidu Charities, a Charitable Trust, showcases various inventions and innovations of G. D. Naidu in the fields of bus transport, radio technology, machine tools, home gadgets, agriculture, Siddha, etc. The life history of G. D. Naidu is chronicled in such a manner so as to inspire the visitor about the fact that a person with no formal education was able to acquire such vast knowledge and actively involve himself in the field of education and be responsible to a great extent for the industrial growth of Coimbatore.
The Gallery also interestingly chronicles G.D. Naidu’s early life; his travels to Europe, his tryst with the Income Tax Department and his contribution to job-oriented vocational education. There are striking images showing Gopal Bagh, the residence of G. D. Naidu, where he hosted eminent personalities who visited him, and where people from various domains gathered to discuss the progress of India.
The Gallery reflects the greatest philosophy by which the man lived, which was, “To learn for 25 years, though not in school alone, to earn for 25 years, and to spend what I have learnt and earned after these 50 years, for the welfare of others.” It is aimed at getting across this philosophy to add to the many youngsters who have been inspired by him, and have also given back to society.