Dashrath Manjhi also known as MOUNTAIN MAN was a daily wage labourer in Gehlaur village,Bihar,INDIA.He carved a path of 110m long deep through a hillock using hammer and chisel.He shortened distance between two towns from 55 kilometers to 15 kilometers.
Faguni Devi (manjhi's wife ) died after an accident due to not receiving immediate medical care, as there were no nearby hospitals.Thinking that no one else should suffer this fate, he resolved to build the road to make his village more accessible. Manjhi felt the need to do something for society and decided to carve a path through the Gehlour hills so that his village could have easier access to medical attention. He carved a path 110 m long, 7.7 m deep in places and 9.1 m wide to form a road through the rocks in Gehlour hill. He said, "When I started hammering the hill, people called me a lunatic but that steeled my resolve.He completed the work in 22 years (1960–1982). This path reduced the distance between the Atri and Wazirganj sectors of the Gaya district from 80 km to 3 km. Though mocked for his efforts, Manji's work has made life easier for people of the Gehlour village.[9] Later, Manjhi said, "Though most villagers taunted me at first, there were quite a few who lent me support later by giving me food and helping me buy my tools."
Manjhi died on 17 August 2007 after suffering from gall bladder cancer in All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. He was given a state funeral by the Government of Bihar.
