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Dashrath Manjhi

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Indian laborer (1934–2007)

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Dashrath Manjhi<br>दशरथ मांझीDashrath Manjhi on 2016 stamp of India<br>Born(1934-01-14)14 January 1934<br>Gehlaur, Bihar and Orissa Province, British India<br>Died17 August 2007(2007-08-17) (aged 73)<br>New Delhi, India<br>Other nameMountain ManKnown forManually carving a mountain in order to connect Gehlaur and GayaSpouseFalguni Devi

Dashrath Manjhi (14 January 1934[1] – 17 August 2007[2]), also known as the Mountain Man ,[3] was an Indian laborer from Gehlaur village, near Gaya in the eastern state of Bihar. He is best known for carving a 110-metre-long (360 ft), 9.1-metre-wide (30 ft), and 7.7-metre-deep (25 ft) path through a ridge of hills using only a hammer and a chisel, because his wife fell and died from injuries due to the ridge blocking easy access to a nearby hospital on time.[4][5][6] After 22 years of work, Dashrath shortened travel between the Atri and Wazirganj blocks of Gaya district from 55 km (34 mi) to 15 km (9.3 mi).[7] He travelled to New Delhi to get recognition of his work and was rewarded by then Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar. In 2016, India Post issued a postage stamp featuring Manjhi.

Early life<br>[edit]

Manjhi was born in Gehlaur on 14 January 1934. He ran away from his home at a young age and worked in coal mines at Dhanbad, later returning to Gehlaur and married Falguni (or Phaguni) Devi.[4]

Gehlaur was and remains a small village with few resources, and although it lies in a plain, it is bordered on the south by a steeply ascending quartzite ridge of Mesoproterozoic (1–1.6 billion years) age[8] (part of the Rajgir Hills) which formerly prevented road access from the town of Wazirganj.

Accident and road building<br>[edit]

After he returned to Gehlaur, Manjhi became an agricultural labourer. In 1959, Manjhi's wife Falguni Devi was badly injured and died because she fell from the mountain and the nearest town with a doctor was 70 kilometres (43 mi) away. Some reports say she was injured while walking along a narrow path across the rocky ridge to bring water or lunch to Manjhi, who had to work away from the village at a location south of the ridge;[4][3][9] other reports link the path across the ridge to the delayed care but not to Falguni Devi's injuries.[10]

510m<br>556yds

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As a result of this experience Manjhi resolved to cut a roadway across the ridge to make his village more accessible.[6][7] Manjhi felt that the loss of his beloved wife could have been prevented, also he wished to spare the next person of having to experience a similar fate, so he felt determined to carve a path through the ridge, so that his village could one day have easier access to medical care.[4]

He carved a path 110 metres (360 ft) long, 7.7 metres (25 ft) deep in places and 9.1 metres (30 ft) wide to form a road through the ridge of rocks. The latitude and longitude are approximately 24°52′37″N 85°14′35″E / 24.877°N 85.243°E / 24.877; 85.243.[citation needed]

He said, "When I started hammering the hill, people called me a lunatic, but that steeled my resolve."[citation needed]

He completed the work in 22 years (1960–1982). This path reduced the distance between the Atri and Wazirganj sectors of Gaya district from 55 to 15 kilometres (34.2 to 9.3 mi). Though he was mocked for his efforts, Manjhi's work has made life easier for people of the Gehlaur village.[7] Manjhi recalled later that "though most villagers taunted me at first, there were quite a few who lent me support later by giving me food and helping me buy my tools."[citation needed]

Official roads between his village in Atri and Wazirganj, over the path he carved, were built after his death in 2007.[11]

Death<br>[edit]

Manjhi was diagnosed with gallbladder cancer and was admitted to AIIMS New Delhi on 23 July 2007. He died there on 17 August...