Daijiworld Media Network – Gaya

Gaya, Aug 26: Bhagirath Manjhi, son of the legendary ‘Mountain Man’ Dashrath Manjhi, has expressed heartfelt gratitude to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for building a pucca house for his family in Bihar’s Gaya.

Recounting the moment, Bhagirath said, “When I met Rahul Gandhi in Patna, I invited him to see the path my father had carved with a hammer and chisel. He came, we sat on a cot, drank coconut water, and shared a meal. Later, he surprised us by handing over the keys to a newly built house.”

The house, completed within a month, comprises five rooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, and has running water and fans in every room. “Now there is no problem. We are very happy and grateful to Rahul Gandhi,” Bhagirath said.

Dashrath Manjhi, who came to be known as the ‘Mountain Man’, single-handedly carved a 110-metre-long and 30-feet-wide path through a rocky hill in Gehlaur village, reducing the distance between Atri and Wazirganj from 55 km to 15 km. He passed away in 2007 and was accorded a state funeral. His legacy was honoured by a postal stamp and a Padma Shri nomination.

Rahul Gandhi, who had earlier paid tribute to Dashrath Manjhi on his death anniversary, is currently leading the ‘Voter Adhikaar Yatra’ in Bihar alongside RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav. The 16-day yatra, which resumed its 10th day from Saharsa, aims to highlight alleged “vote theft” in the electoral roll revision and has been drawing enthusiastic public response.