Years ago, a frail, landless farmer decided to move a mountain. The challenge for Dashrath Manjhi was formidable -- a 300-ft-high rocky hill stood between his village and vital resources. With most of the cultivable land and shops across the treacherous hill, villagers were forced to cross it many times a day. Not waiting for help from the Indian government, Manjhi chose to go at it alone, selling his goats to buy chisel, hammer and rope. He hammered constantly for 22 years, and finally, in 1982, Manjhi walked through a clear flat passage -- one km long, 16-feet-wide. His service to the village, though, came at a cost: his wife, who inspired him to take on this task, was not by his side. Said Manjhi, "She died of illness. We could not take her to a hospital on time."
