The popular mountain man of Bihar, Dashrath Manjhi, died at AIIMS on Friday evening and the Bihar government granted him great respect by giving him a state burial on Saturday evening. Manjhi was about 80 and was suffering from cancer. He was admitted to AIIMS on July 24 this year.

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar himself flew to Gaya to receive his body and paid a glowing tribute to him. The chief minister said that the proposed hospital and road to be built in Gahlaur, from where Manjhi belonged, will be named after him.

Most of the people would feel surprise to know how a common man received a state burial from Bihar government. I just want to tell them that Dasharath Manjhi was not a common man. He was the person with significant specialty that many of us lack, the great will power. He was known not by his caste or birth but by his deeds and courage.

Dasrath Manjhi, earlier known as Dasrath Bhnuiya, came in limelight in late 1980s when he complete the challenging task of carving out a 360 feet long, 30 feet wide and 25 feet high passage through the mountain of Gahlaur. He had started the work in 1967 and completed it in 1988 by taking 22 years, the time, which Taj Mahal took.

Manjhi had all alone carved out a 360-foot and 30-foot wide passage by cutting through a mountain near Gahlaur that stood between the Attari and Wazirgunj.

Manjhi had started the task in 1967 when his wife was injured and Manjhi had to take a long way round the mountain to reach the nearest hospital. He completed the challenging project in 1988 and later requested the state administration to construct a pucca road through the mountain.

However, his dream road could not be built till the date because of the delay caused by the bureaucracy. The CM Nitish Kumar has promised to build the road and a hospital in the village and both will be named after him. Manjhi had moved mountain to make the passage between the two blocks of Gaya district, Atri and Wazirganj.

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