Dashrath Manjhi – The Mountain Man
Dasharath Manjhi, also known as the “Mountain Man”, was a poor laborer in Gehlaur village near Gaya in Bihar. He alone cut a 360-foot-long 30-foot-wide and 25-foot-high mountain with a hammer and chisel. (Dashrath Manjhi: Story of The Mountain Man)
Dashrath Manjhi’s Story
Dashrath Manjhi used to come from a very backward area. To go to the nearby town from the village where they lived, one had to cross the entire mountain (Gahlor mountain). There was no electricity or water in his village in those days. In such a situation, the entire mountain had to be either crossed for the smallest need or had to go round it.
Dashrath Manjhi’s Wife
He married Falguni Devi. When his wife Phalguni fell into the mountain pass and died in order to carry food for her husband who was cutting wood at the other end of the mountain. His wife died due to lack of medicines, as the market was far away. Could not get medicine on time.
Dashrath Manjhi’s Amazing Work
After the cutting of this mountain, the distance from Manjhi’s village Glohar from Wazirganj in Gaya district of Bihar was reduced by about 50 kilometers. Bihar farmer Dasharatha Manjhi did this amazing work like cutting the mountain. Who, on the strength of 22 years of tireless work, single-handedly cut a 300-foot long mountain and made a wide path.
Manjhi, a farm laborer, sold his goats and bought a chisel and hammer. After that, he started working day and night to cut the mountain. They also built their hut near the mountain so that no time was spent in coming.
Dashrath Manjhi’s Movies
The film division also produced a documentary film on him titled “The Man Who Moved the Mountain” in 2012. Kumud Ranjan is the director of the documentary. In July 2012, director Ketan Mehta announced the making of Manjhi: The Mountain Man, a film based on the life of Dashrath Manjhi. The film was released on 21 August 2015. Nawazuddin Siddiqui portrayed Manjhi and Radhika Apte played Phalguni Devi.