After villagers struggled to cross the Payaswini River, mechanical engineer Girish Bharadwaj took up an unfamiliar challenge that eventually led him to build more than 140 suspension bridges across India.
For communities separated by rivers, streams and difficult terrain, reaching a school, hospital or market can become a daily struggle. In 1989, one such challenge in Karnataka brought mechanical engineer Girish Bharadwaj into bridge building, a field that would eventually define his life’s work.
Villagers in Aramburu, in Dakshina Kannada’s Sullia area, approached Bharadwaj for help after repeated disruptions to the country boat they relied on to cross the Payaswini River. Although his formal training was in mechanical engineering rather than bridge construction, he decided to find a solution. That first project became the beginning of a career spanning more than three decades and more than 140 suspension footbridges.
The Beginning
Born in Karnataka and raised in the Sullia area, Bharadwaj completed his mechanical engineering degree from P.E.S. College of Engineering, Mandya, in 1973. He later established an engineering workshop in Sullia, where he worked on fabrication and machinery before his work with suspension bridges began.
The request from Aramburu presented him with a problem outside his formal area of expertise. Bharadwaj did not initially have a bridge design or detailed calculations for such a structure. Instead, he studied available material on suspension bridges and sought guidance from experienced engineers and academics. Accounts of his work say he also studied major suspension bridges, including the Golden Gate Bridge, while developing designs suitable for local conditions.
The resulting bridge across the Payaswini became a practical demonstration of what low-cost engineering could achieve in a rural setting. Rather than waiting for a large conventional bridge, the community was able to get a structure designed specifically for its needs.
From One Bridge To More Than 140
The Aramburu bridge was only the beginning. As word spread about Bharadwaj’s work, more communities approached him for similar solutions.
Over the following decades, he designed and constructed more than 140 suspension footbridges across India, particularly in rural and difficult-to-access regions. His work extended across Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, among other areas.
The number of bridges attributed to him changed as his work continued. In 2017, reports said he had already built more than 100 bridges and was working on his 128th. By 2020, accounts placed the number at around 139, while Bharadwaj later spoke of having constructed nearly 150. Recent reports following his death generally describe his contribution as more than 140 bridges.
The bridges were particularly important for communities where rivers could effectively cut off villages during the monsoon. For residents, a bridge could mean a shorter and safer route to schools, healthcare facilities, markets and roads.
Engineering For Rural India
Bharadwaj’s work was based on adapting suspension-bridge technology to the realities of rural India. His bridges were designed to provide practical connectivity without the scale and cost associated with many conventional bridge projects.
His approach also involved working closely with communities. An archival profile of his work describes villagers participating in construction and Bharadwaj remaining at project sites during crucial stages to oversee quality and safety. His early bridges used locally available features where appropriate, while later projects increasingly relied on concrete pylons and steel components designed for greater durability.
The work was not always financially straightforward. Bharadwaj had said that some community-funded projects faced financial constraints and that he sometimes contributed to completing projects. He also provided design and site-investigation assistance for some community initiatives without charging a fee.
His involvement went beyond simply drawing plans. He worked with teams at remote sites and remained closely involved with construction, saying that being present allowed him to monitor both the quality of the bridge and the safety of his workers.
Connecting People To Essential Services
The significance of Bharadwaj’s bridges lay in what they allowed people to reach.
In remote communities, a river can become more than a geographical boundary. During heavy rains, it can prevent children from reaching school, make access to medical treatment difficult and leave farmers struggling to transport their produce.
Bharadwaj’s bridges offered an alternative to boats or dangerous attempts to cross swollen rivers. Reports on his work describe communities gaining more reliable access to education, healthcare and markets. Over the years, his bridges came to represent a form of rural infrastructure designed around the needs of the people who would use them.
His engineering also evolved. Bharadwaj worked on improving the strength, durability and practicality of his designs, including structures capable of accommodating two-wheelers in some locations. His son, Pathanjali Bharadwaj, later became involved in bridge design and construction, helping carry the family’s engineering work forward.
Recognition For A Lifetime Of Service
As the number of bridges grew, Bharadwaj became widely known as the “Bridge Man of India” and “Sethu Bandhu.” His work eventually received national recognition.
In 2017, the Government of India conferred the Padma Shri on Girish Bharadwaj in the field of Social Work, Karnataka. The official Padma Awards notification lists him among the recipients that year.
At the time, Bharadwaj was already known for building affordable suspension bridges in remote areas. His recognition reflected the broader social purpose of his engineering work: improving connectivity for communities that could otherwise remain physically isolated.
He also received recognition from engineering institutions and other organisations during his lifetime. His work became an example of how engineering could be directed towards problems affecting everyday life in underserved communities.
A Legacy That Continues Beyond The Bridges
Girish Bharadwaj passed away on July 7, 2026, at the age of 76, at a private hospital in Sullia, Karnataka. Reports said he died following a brief illness. His death prompted tributes from across Karnataka, with leaders and communities remembering his contribution to rural connectivity.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar described Bharadwaj as a rare technical visionary and innovator. He recalled that Bharadwaj had built more than 140 suspension bridges and said villagers fondly called him the “Visvesvaraya of Sullia” in recognition of his service through engineering and technology.
Bharadwaj was cremated with state honours at his native Aramburu village, according to reports. He is survived by two sons and a daughter.
His legacy, however, remains visible in the bridges he left behind. Each structure represents a practical answer to a problem that many rural communities know well: how to remain connected when geography stands in the way.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Girish Bharadwaj’s journey began with a request from villagers who needed a safer way to cross a river. What followed was more than three decades of engineering work focused on rural connectivity. Without beginning as a specialist in bridge construction, Bharadwaj studied, experimented and developed suspension-bridge solutions suited to difficult terrain and local needs. His more than 140 bridges connected remote communities with schools, hospitals, markets and wider road networks. The Padma Shri in 2017 recognised his contribution to social work, while his death in 2026 marked the end of a career that demonstrated how engineering can address some of the most basic barriers to opportunity.
Also Read: From Karnataka Midwife To Padma Shri: Remembering Sulagitti Narasamma’s Extraordinary Journey
