Dasarath Manjhi

Window Seat

Have heard about Dashrath Manjhi, famously known as the "Mountain Man of India". I have also heard about the Nawajuddin Siddiqui starrer film ‘Manjhi’ made on his life. But beyond that I knew little about him. Prof. Atish Parashar of South Bihar Central University, Gaya took me to Gehlaur, the village of Dasarath Manjhi.

The road to Gehlaur from Gaya, winding through one of the most ancient rock and land formations and fertile fields of India- was good. Just before we reached Gehlaur, there was a pucca building with a sign board in Hindi: Memorial Institution.

Dasarath Manjhi was born in 1934 in the small village of Gehlaur in Bihar. Coming from a marginalized Musahar community, his life was marked by poverty and hardship. However, it was a tragic event that turned him into a symbol of determination and resilience. His wife, Falguni Devi, fell ill and died in 1959 due to delayed medical treatment as the nearest healthcare facility was separated from their village by a steep mountain. The road circumnavigated the mountain.

Motivated by grief and love, Manjhi took it upon himself to carve a path through the mountain. Armed with only simple tools like a hammer and chisel, he toiled relentlessly for 22 years, from 1960 to 1982. His extraordinary feat resulted in a 110-meter-long, 9-meter-wide, and 7.6-meter-deep road through the Gehlaur hills. This drastically reduced the distance between Atri and Wazirganj blocks from 55 kilometers to just 15 kilometers, transforming the lives of countless villagers by providing them easier access to essential services.

Despite initial ridicule, Manjhi's work gained recognition over time. His life story has inspired movies, books, and documentaries, including the Bollywood film Manjhi: The Mountain Man (2015). Dashrath Manjhi passed away on 17 August 2007, but his legacy endures as a testament to the power of human determination and the strength of love-driven perseverance. It was amazing to see the transformation a single individual made to the entire area, which now has a fairly good road, a Hospital, and a Police Station.

As I walked through the road that Dashrath Manjhi single handedly made, I bowed to the man and his indomitable spirit, succinctly encapsulated in a dialogue in the film Manjhi: Bahut jjor hai? Dekh, dekh kaise ukhadte hai akad teri! ('How big do you think you are (to the mountain)? Is there a lot of arrogance in you? Do you have so much energy? Look, look how I uproot you.’)

Painti ngs at Hazaribag Railway Station

While coming back from Gaya, I passed through Hazaribag Railway Station. It was amazing to see the Sohrai wall paintings adorning its walls. Colourful Sohrai painting has emerged as the identity of Jharkhand. It received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2020. 

Sohrai painting, a traditional indigenous art form is practised by women of different indigenous communities native to the villages of Hazaribagh region of Jharkhand, India. These practitioners belong to Kurmi, Santal, Munda, Oraon, Agaria, Ghatwal ethnic groups among others.

Astrology

First, a disclaimer. I do not believe in astrology. I believe it is pseudoscience because it lacks scientific evidence. My wife half-believes in it. When it says something good for her, she does not believe it, but when it hints something bad for her – she believes it.

However, it seems more users globally are turning to astrology for advice. Co-Star, an American firm, is reported to have more than 30m users, whom it charges for queries ($2.99 gets you five questions). AstroTalk, an Indian firm, connects more than 40,000 astrologers to 80m customers remotely. Spending on astrology-related products and services is projected to grow to $22.8bn by 2031, up from $12.8bn in 2021, reckons Allied Market Research, a consulting firm.

As per a report in The Economist, some 70% of Americans either “somewhat” or “strongly” believe in astrology, according to a survey by the Harris Poll, a research firm, in 2024. One reason for this attraction is the decline of organised religion, which has sparked a search for meaning in other places, from gyms to politics. Another commonly cited explanation is the stress of modern life: 61% of Americans say that astrology provides comfort in uncertain times. Interest surged during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Balasaheb Thackeray@100

Before becoming a fulltime politician and founding Shiv Sena, Balasaheb Thackeray (23.1.1926-17.11.2012) was a cartoonist.

Thackeray began his career as a cartoonist in the Free Press Journal in Mumbai in 1946 at the age of 20. His salary was Rs 75. By 1947 he became a regular staff member. When he joined Free Press Journal, R.K.Laxman was already working there.

Thackeray’s cartoons were also published in the Sunday edition of The Times of India.

He left Free Press Journal in 1960 to form his own political career. He established a regional political party Shiv Sena in 1966. He also published a political weekly, Marmik, which carried his cartoons. He contributed cartoons to Saamana, a Marathi-language newspaper that he launched on 23 January 1988 as the mouthpiece of Shiv Sena till 2012.