Who was Dashrath Manjhi? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Died At Age: 73

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Falguni Devi (m. ?–1959)

children: Bhagirath Manjhi

Indian Men

Died on: August 17, 2007

place of death: New Delhi

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1

What inspired Dashrath Manjhi to carve a path through a mountain?

Dashrath Manjhi was inspired by the death of his wife, who succumbed to injuries sustained while crossing the mountain to reach the nearest town for medical help.
2

How long did it take Dashrath Manjhi to carve a path through the Gehlour hills?

It took Dashrath Manjhi 22 years to carve a path through the Gehlour hills, working single-handedly with just a hammer and chisel.
3

What impact did Dashrath Manjhi's mountain road have on the local community?

Dashrath Manjhi's mountain road significantly reduced travel time for villagers, allowing easier access to schools, hospitals, and markets, thereby improving their quality of life.
4

How did Dashrath Manjhi's act of carving a path through the mountain earn him the title of "Mountain Man?"

Dashrath Manjhi's extraordinary dedication and perseverance in carving a path through the mountain earned him the admiration of the local community and media, leading to him being recognized as the "Mountain Man" for his remarkable feat.

Childhood & Early Life

Dashrath Manjhi was born in 1934 in the village of Gehlour in Bihar to laborer parents who were very destitute and needy. India was still under British Rule then. Gehlour is situated in Muhra Tehsil in the district of Gaya, and the Gaya Town was situated several kilometers away.

Not much is known about his childhood and early life except that he started working as a woodcutter while still in his teens in order to make ends meet. Dashrath got married in his childhood, keeping with the traditional and cultural norms of his caste.

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About the Hamlet Dashrath Hailed From

Gehlour, the village Dashrath was born in, still happens to be backward and the villagers continue to follow the orthodox caste system that by its very nature is disruptive. Villagers belonging to the lowermost hierarchies of the caste system are treated as outcasts and their womenfolk, regarded as mere chattels.

The majority of villagers residing in Gehlour are Dalits who tend to eke out a livelihood by serving others and working as scavengers. Before Dashrath hammered his way through the hillock straddling Wazirgunj and Atri subdivisions in Gaya, villagers had to trudge via a narrow and precipitous path going over the mound to hail a transport.

Dashrath Weds Falguni Devi: Unfolding of a Saga of Lifelong Devotion

Manjhi left his village and traveled all the way to Dhanbad, the 2nd largest city of Jharkhand, situated in Damodar Valley—called ‘Ruhr of India’—as the region accounts for 60% of India’s coal deposits. He toiled in one of the collieries of Dhanbad for close to seven years before returning to his village.

Upon his return, Dashrath was smitten by a village belle by the name of Falguni. Later on he discovered that the young woman he fell for was the same girl he had been married off to during his childhood. However, Falguni’s father dissuaded Dashrath from taking her along with him owing to his unemployment.

Manjhi’s steely resolve to reunite with Falguni saw him eloping with his childhood bride. Subsequently, they started living together under one roof as man and wife. Very soon, they became the proud parents of a baby boy and Falguni became pregnant again with their 2nd child in 1960.

How a Tragedy Transformed the Life of Dashrath

One fateful day, Falguni, who was in an advanced stage of pregnancy, was bringing lunch for Dashrath working in the fields when she suddenly tripped while climbing the hillock. Dashrath, who was anxiously waiting in the blistering heat for his wife to show up, was unaware of the sudden development and unexpected mishap.

After tripping, Falguni Devi rolled downwards from the Gehlour mound and lay in an unconscious state. Dashrath was alerted by a villager about the catastrophe that had befallen his wife. Panic-stricken, he rushed to the spot only to find her in a blood-splattered state and took her to a hospital, 70 km away.

The physician who examined Falguni Devi after Dashrath had rushed her to the hospital announced that she was lifeless. He was beset with overwhelming grief as he found it very difficult to come to terms with the fact that his wife had passed away. Falguni Devi had given birth to a baby girl before breathing her last.

Thoroughly disconsolate and inconsolable, Manjhi started imprecating the knoll that had snatched away his beloved. Afterwards when he took his grief in his stride, he took an oath to shatter the ego of the mound—he made up his mind to keep chipping away at the hillock until a wide passage was created.

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When his father and other villagers came to know about Dashrath’s plan, they tried their level best to dissuade him by reiterating to him that he was about to embark on an impossible mission. However, it was his enduring love for his wife that further strengthened his resolve to accomplish a task that indeed was inconceivable.

The Making of the Mountain Man

Dashrath simply did not explore the option of requesting the local, state or central government for assistance, financial or otherwise, as he was certain of being turned away. So, he took it upon himself to cut through the hillock and create a path single-handedly.

He bought a hammer and chisel by selling a few goats he owned and set upon the task in 1960. He would start hammering away at the Gehlour mound at 4 a.m. and would continue till 8 p.m., taking a few hours’ break in the afternoon to work in the fields.

His dedication and missionary zeal earned him the epithet, “Mountain Man”. Oftentimes, he would be without food and water for hours on end and at other times subsist just on leaves. A few years later, there was an exodus of villagers from Gehlaur owing to a severe drought but he stayed put.

Gradually, Dashrath’s perseverance and his devotion towards his mission attracted the attention of the media and he even received help from fellow villagers and neighbors who had once openly criticized him. At last, in 1982, his long cherished wish of burrowing his way through the knoll was fulfilled.

After 22 years of relentless hammering and chipping, he had achieved the impossible—he had constructed a path, 360 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 25 feet high. The tunneling through the hillock had created a passageway that decreased the distance of 55 km between Atri and Wazirgunj by 40 km.

Manjhi accomplished another challenging task soon after—he journeyed to New Delhi, travelling on foot for three months to plead with the administration for assistance. Eventually, the government lent a helping hand by completing the Herculean task of carving the hummock to create a traversable passage and also helped establish a dispensary.

The Tragic Demise

Dashrath Manjhi breathed his last on 17 August 2007. He was suffering from gall bladder cancer. He was accorded a public funeral by state government.

The Legacy of the Mountain Man

The Bihar state government sent a proposal to the central government, recommending Dashrath’s name for ‘Padma Shree’—an award given to civilians for exemplary social service—in 2006.

A documentary titled, ‘The Man Who Moved the Mountain,’ revolving around Dashrath’s life, was released in 2011. A Bollywood movie named, ‘Manjhi-The Mountain Man’ was released for commercial screening in August 2015. Two Kannada movies were also made that were based on Dashrath Manjhi.

In 2011, the government of Bihar named the road going through the Gehlour mound as ‘Dashrath Manjhi Path’.

Facts About Dashrath Manjhi

Dashrath Manjhi, also known as the "Mountain Man," single-handedly carved a path through a mountain using only a hammer and chisel, reducing a 75-kilometer journey to just one kilometer.

Despite facing numerous challenges and hardships, Manjhi remained determined and dedicated to his goal of creating a shortcut for his community, showcasing his unwavering perseverance.

Manjhi's incredible feat of carving a path through the mountain not only benefited his village by improving access to essential services but also inspired many to believe in the power of determination and hard work.

His remarkable story has been recognized globally, with a documentary and a Bollywood film made to honor his extraordinary achievement and the impact it had on his community.

Manjhi's legacy continues to inspire people around the world to overcome obstacles and make a positive difference in their communities through perseverance and dedication.

Dashrath Manjhi Biography

You wanted to know

What inspired Dashrath Manjhi to carve a path through a mountain?

How long did it take Dashrath Manjhi to carve a path through the Gehlour hills?

What impact did Dashrath Manjhi's mountain road have on the local community?

How did Dashrath Manjhi's act of carving a path through the mountain earn him the title of "Mountain Man?"