Chirag Paswan pays tribute to Bihar's Mountain Man Dashrath Manjhi
Synopsis
Union Minister Chirag Paswan paid homage to Dashrath Manjhi on his death anniversary, saluting the Bihar villager who single-handedly carved a 360-foot path through a hill over 22 years — a feat that turned the impossible into a road.
Key Takeaways
Chirag Paswan , Union Food Processing Minister and LJP (Ram Vilas) president, posted a tribute to Dashrath Manjhi on 17 August 2026 , the anniversary of Manjhi's death.
Dashrath Manjhi spent 22 years (1960–1982) carving a 360-foot path through a rocky hill in Gaya district, Bihar , using only a hammer and chisel.
The path reduced travel distance between two Bihar blocks from roughly 55 km to 15 km .
Manjhi, known as the 'Mountain Man,' is widely regarded as a symbol of individual determination and Bihar's regional pride.
Annual commemorations on 17 August are a recurring feature of Bihar-linked political and public discourse across party lines.
On the death anniversary of Dashrath Manjhi — the man who moved a mountain, literally — Union Food Processing Minister Chirag Paswan on Monday, 17 August 2026 offered his reverence to the legendary figure known across Bihar and beyond as the 'Mountain Man.'
Posting in Hindi, Paswan wrote: 'अपने अदम्य साहस और संकल्प से असंभव को संभव कर दिखाने वाले बिहार के गौरव, पर्वत पुरुष दशरथ मांझी जी की पुण्यतिथि पर कोटिशः नमन।' — 'Countless salutations on the death anniversary of Bihar's pride, the Mountain Man Dashrath Manjhi, who made the impossible possible through indomitable courage and resolve.'
The man who carved a road through a hill alone
Dashrath Manjhi, a labourer from Gehlaur village in Gaya district, Bihar, spent 22 years — from 1960 to 1982 — chiselling a 360-foot-long path through a rocky hill using only a hammer and chisel. His singular motivation: after his wife was fatally injured because the nearest medical help lay on the other side of an impassable hill, he resolved that no neighbour would suffer the same fate. What the state could not do, one man did. The path he carved reduced the distance between Atri and Wazirganj blocks from roughly 55 kilometres to just 15 kilometres.Why Bihar's leaders keep returning to Manjhi's story
Every 17 August — the anniversary of Manjhi's passing in 2007 — state and national leaders from across the political spectrum pay public homage. For Bihar-rooted politicians like Chirag Paswan, president of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), the tribute carries a dual register: genuine regional pride in a folk hero whose story has crossed national boundaries, and a reaffirmation of Bihar's identity as a land of extraordinary ordinary people. Paswan, whose party draws its core base from Bihar, has consistently used such commemorations to keep that emotional thread alive. Manjhi's story — stubborn, solitary, ultimately triumphant — has become a parable that transcends politics. It is the kind of legend a region holds onto precisely because it asks nothing of governments and everything of the human will. That is why it endures, and why it is invoked year after year with undiminished force.Point of View
Whose fortunes are deeply tied to Bihar's social fabric, such commemorations serve as soft but consistent brand-building. Manjhi's story — self-reliance over state dependence — also carries an ideological undertone that sits comfortably across the current ruling coalition's broader narrative. The annual ritual is low-cost, high-resonance politics at its most effective.
NationPress
17 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Dashrath Manjhi and why is he called the Mountain Man?
Dashrath Manjhi was a labourer from Gehlaur village in Gaya, Bihar , who single-handedly carved a 360-foot path through a rocky hill over 22 years (1960–1982) using only a hammer and chisel, earning him the title 'Mountain Man.'
When did Dashrath Manjhi die?
Dashrath Manjhi passed away in 2007 . His death anniversary falls on 17 August and is observed annually across Bihar and nationally.
Why did Dashrath Manjhi carve the mountain path?
Manjhi undertook the feat after his wife was fatally injured because the nearest medical help lay on the other side of an impassable hill. He resolved to ensure no neighbour faced the same tragedy.
What did Chirag Paswan say about Dashrath Manjhi?
Chirag Paswan offered 'countless salutations' to Manjhi on his death anniversary, describing him as 'Bihar's pride' who 'made the impossible possible through indomitable courage and resolve.'
How much did Dashrath Manjhi's path reduce travel distance?
The path Manjhi carved reduced the distance between Atri and Wazirganj blocks in Bihar from roughly 55 kilometres to just 15 kilometres .
