Dashrath Manjhi | |
|---|---|
| दशरथ मांझी | |
 Dashrath Manjhi on 2016 stamp of India | |
| Born | 14 January 1934 |
| Died | 17 August 2007 (aged 73) New Delhi, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Other names | Mountain Man |
| Known for | Manually carving a mountain in order to connect Gehlaur and Gaya |
| Spouse | Falguni Devi |
Dashrath Manjhi (14 January 1934[1] – 17 August 2007[2]), also known as Mountain Man,[3] was an Indian laborer from Gehlaur village, near Gaya in the eastern state of Bihar. When his wife died in 1959 after being injured from falling from a mountain and due to the same mountain blocking easy access to a nearby hospital in time, he decided to carve 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.[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, Indian Post issued a postage stamp featuring Manjhi.