Dashrath Manjhi – The Mountain Man
If you are a fan of romantic novels and if nothing makes you happier than listening to real love stories, then the story of Dashrath Manjhi will leave you awestruck…
The Unbelievable Story of Dashrath Manjhi
Dashrath Manjhi was a landless labourer residing in the Gaya district of Bihar. He was from a low caste and hence was debarred from many opportunities. His childhood was very tough and he used to work since a very tender to earn money.
After a few years, he married Falguni Devi. Being a landless labourer, he used to commute to the neighboring village which was more than 50 kilometers away from his home. It was on the other side of the mountain and he needed to travel through a narrow dangerous pass.
One unfortunate day, his wife was walking the treacherous path to carry food for him. She slipped and was seriously hurt.
She succumbed to the injuries when she couldn’t get proper medical care attention on time, as such facilities were far from the village. Manjhi couldn’t recover from this irreparable loss. He discontinued his labor work and started carved a path through the mountain. His only weapons- a hammer and a chisel.
The enemy- a huge, several feet wide and tall rock.
But his determination and love for his wife paid off. In 22 years, with a mere hammer and chisel, he carved a 110-meter long path into the mountain! This new, hand-carved path is about 30 feet wide and decreases the distance from the two villages from 55 kilometres to just 15 kilometres! This road is known as the Dashrath Manjhi road.
The Hardships of Dashrath Manjhi
His decision of ‘moving’ the mountain was totally mocked by the villages. They used to call him a fool and used to discourage him a lot.
It was quite depressing for him but is inner fire never went off. Eventually, seeing his determination and perseverance, the villagers started to help him by offered lunch and funding his tools.
He, with his consistent efforts for 22 years relieved the pains of hundreds of others too. He was honored by the Padma Shree award for his social service. After his death in 2007, he was given a state funeral.
One postage stamp of the “Personalities of Bihar” series had his photo.
Some people set a goal and work towards it tirelessly. They ignore the trolls and keep going until they achieve what they want.
This story couldn’t be more apt to make us understand the power of persistent efforts. Only you have the power to change your current condition. Don’t overthink, and just work it off. You couldn’t be more satisfied…
