Across the Ridge

Manjhi worked as a laborer on a farm on the far side of the mountain. To bring him water, his wife, Falguni Devi, had to cross the ridge on foot.

As a young man, he had run away from home to work in the coal mines at Dhanbad. Then he came back to Gehlaur and married her.

One day, Falguni set out over the path with water for him.

Years later, he described what happened. His wife, he said, "was seriously injured while crossing the hill to bring me water."

"That was the day I decided to carve out a proper road through this hill."