Mountain Man- Dasharath Manji

Dasharath Manji: The amazing man who carved a path through a mountain alone in 22 years ......................

People made fun of him, but he continued his work for 22 years. He was Dasharath Manji, known as the mountain man. He carved a path through a mountain alone. He dedicated 22 years of his life to his village and made a difference in the lives of the people of a small village in Bihar.

Do you know why a landless farmer named Dasharath Manji carved a path through a mountain in the Gehlur hills of Bihar using only a hammer and a chisel? To provide easy access to medical facilities in his village. Directed by Ketan Mehta, Manji - The Mountain Man is a documentary about the life of this man.

Here are some facts about this mountain man:

The villagers had to travel 70 kilometers to get medical help in the nearest town.  In 1959, Dashrath Manji's wife Falguni Devi died without medical attention.

In memory of his wife, he carved a path through the Gehlur hills to provide easy access to medical care for his village.

Working day and night for 22 years, he demolished the hill. The path is 360 feet long and 25 feet deep. This reduced the distance from 70 kilometers to one kilometer.

He worked from 1960 to 1982. For this feat, Manji became known as the 'Mountain Man'. He died of gall bladder cancer on 17 August 2007 at the age of 73. To honour his achievements, a hospital has been built in his name to serve the villagers.

Filmmaker Ketan Mehta has described him as the Shah Jahan of the poor. He has also made a documentary on his life.

In 2006, the Bihar government nominated his name for the Padma Shri award. When a film on Manji's life was announced, he was on his deathbed. Put his fingerprints on a contract and gave the rights to make a film on his life.