All section Close
Image Credits: Twitter/ Dr Guru Prakash Paswan, Sumita Roy Dutta
'Mountain Man Of India': Lesser Known Facts About Manjhi Who Carved History With Hammers & Chisels
Writer: Ronit Kumar Singh
A confident and reliable journalist who always desires to toss the unheard voices. I cover politics and governance extensively through stories.
Bihar, 2 Nov 2022 8:34 AM GMT
Editor : Shiva Chaudhary |
A post-graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication with relevant skills, specialising in content editing & writing. I believe in the precise dissemination of information based on facts to the public.
Creatives : Ronit Kumar Singh
A confident and reliable journalist who always desires to toss the unheard voices. I cover politics and governance extensively through stories.
The ordinary man had an ordinary life till he lost his wife due to the mountains in Gehlaur, Bihar. Filled with anger and grief, he carved the path in the mountain, which once seemed impossible.
Dashrath Manjhi, famous as the 'Mountain Man of India,' has been synonymous with determination, self-belief and perseverance. He also found places in popular culture and mainstream media due to his inspiring journey that has taught lessons to millions.
Born in 1934, Manjhi grew up in a financially backward family in Gehlor village, Bihar. He ran from home at a young age to work in the coal mines at Dhanbad. After years, when he returned to his village, he married Falguni Devi.
A Tragic Incident That Changed Manjhi's Life
The ordinary man remained ordinary until he lost his wife in a tragic incident. It was 1959 when his wife got severely injured and died after falling from the mountain in the nearest town. Notably, the hills had a tight grip on Gehlor village, restricting ease of transportation due to the unavailability of roads.
When she met with an accident, she could have been saved if there was a road between the mountains. According to reports, the villagers had to travel hundreds of kilometres to reach nearby villages and districts due to the gigantic mountains.
After his wife's demise, Manjhi was filled with anger and grief, leading him to carve a path in the mountain, too, single-handedly. He did so to provide ease of transportation to the villagers and to ensure that no one died due to a lack of medical care.
People laughed at him when he started the work, but he continued with his work for 22 years. Using only a chisel and a hammer, a landless farmer carved a path through a mountain. He passed away in 2007 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), leaving behind an inspiration for millions.
Some Lesser Known Facts
Manjhi carved a path between Wazirgang and Atri through a 360 ft long, 30 ft wide, and 25 ft high hillock. He achieved the milestone after working for 22 years, from 1960 to 1982. Manjhi's effort reduced Atri to Wazirgang distance to 15 km from 55 km, giving relief to Gehlorians.
While working to make a way between mountains, he developed cancer in his gall bladder, which led to his death at AIIMS Delhi. In his honour, there is also a hospital in Gehlor, which is named after him.
The Bihar government proposed his name in 2006 for the Padma Shree award in the social service sector. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar proposed building a three-kilometre-long road from Gehlor named after Manjhi, India Today reported.
He died on August 17, 2007, and received a state funeral from the Government of Bihar. Throughout his life, he worked to achieve a goal with utmost dedication and determination. The film director Ketan Mehta, who made a documentary on his life, also called him the Shah Jahan of poor people.
Must Reads
We are an independent and public-spirited digital media platform for Indian millennials. We report news and issues that matter as well as give you the opportunity to take action.
