That’s the name people know Dasrath Manjhi by. The first time I heard about him was when I was a kid. My mother told me about this poor labourer who by the sheer strength of his will and hard work created a passage in mountains on his own. What Manjhi did may seem to be too far-fetching to believe but his actions depict the power of human will and love.
He was resident of Galhour a remote village surrounded by rocky hills in Gaya,Bihar. Residents of this village faced a lot of difficulties due to the hills, while going to nearby places. It so happened that one day manjhi’s wife Falguni fell while climbing the mountains , later she succumbed to her injuries due to lack of timely medical treatment.
Moved by his wife’s death he took upon himself the herculean task of creating a path through the hills so that no one suffers the fate of his wife or the pain of his loss. He began with a hammer ,chisel and nails and it took him 22 years of hard work to finish what he had started back in 1967.People considered him mad but his devotion to his wife kept him going and he carved a 360 ft long 30 ft high and 25 ft wide path which reduced the travelling distance from 55 km to 15 km.
Truly an individual can make a huge difference if driven by strong will power and love.
We all have our semi-secret, less-known personal favorites — a great B-side, an early work by an artist that later became famous, an obscure (but delicious) family recipe. Share one of your unsung heroes with us — how did you discover it? Why has it stayed off everyone’s radar?
“Good things come to those who wait.” Do you agree? How long is it reasonable to wait for something you really want?
Wishing upon a star,
will only get you so far.
Ideas in your head won’t materialise ,
Unless you give it a try.
When you embark upon a journey,
The destination you will find at the end,
After you have proven your mettle,
After you have fought your battle,
It’s the winner who takes home the prize.
The journey may seem long,
The future may seem dark.
But you need to hold on to hope,
You need to wait for the spark.
Don’t give up on your dreams,
Don’t let your fears take the lead.
Stand tall in the face of tempest,
Find your courage when you need.
Present-day you meets 10-years-ago you for coffee. Share with your younger self the most challenging thing, the most rewarding thing, and the most fun thing they have to look forward to.
Hello there little girl!!!!
Here , I brought a chocolate for you. Yes, I know you don’t drink coffee, you are the 12 year old me remember. So , you want to know about the future , the challenges , rewards and the fun part.
I know child you are going through hard times, world around you has gone topsy-turvy , life isn’t as you knew it and this is where you stop believing in miracles. Loosing someone so close to you is not easy to deal with.You are too young to be experiencing such things but you are also one of the bravest kids.Trust me you will pull through it ,just don’t let negative thoughts get you, be the optimistic person that you are.In the future whenever you face challenges trust yourself , you will take the right decisions for I have not done anything yet that I had to regret. Don’t underestimate yourself.
The most rewarding thing for you is your childhood itself. Enjoy your school life ,pursue your dreams and yes don’t be shy or scared either , open up to the people you trust. Preserve your innocence and humanity ,they are your best traits , the best gift from your parents.
The fun part begins in the second year of your college, that is when you come out of your shell and venture out. You get to explore the outside world ,the world apart from the books that you have been immersed in for so long. The new friends that you make will be the best achievements of your life ,treasure them.
That’s all for you child, just follow your dreams ,take your decisions, it’s your life, take the lead.
Other posts related to the same Daily Prompt challenge:
What’s the best present you’ve ever received that was handmade by the giver, not store-bought? Tell us what made it so special?
Thinking about the best handmade presents till date , there are two that come to my mind instantly.
In my childhood being a stubborn kid, I often used to make many demands which my parents found difficult to fulfill. The reason being that the place where my father was posted as a doctor was a tribal area and no such thing as a market existed there. It was one of those days that I decided I wanted an elephant toy. My mother unable to calm me down decided to make one and it took her a lot of time,skill and patience . But what she created by magic of her skillful hands is more dear to me than any other gift , a beautiful cotton soft elephant with detailed stitching patterns that harbors love of a mother for her child.
Then there’s the one that was gifted to me recently by one of my best friends on my birthday. At first glance the card looks fairly simple , but for someone who hasn’t painted in years it’s quite a big feat . Doing something that one is good at is quite easy, but trying something new ,that too for others requires lot of compassion and love.The careful neat handwriting at the front and the so-cute balloons and toffees drawn on the inside are as sweet as a child’s drawing.
A gift even a handmade one doesn’t need to be a masterpiece , not even perfect , it just needs to be one from the heart.
They clung to each other,
the boy hiding the girl
trying to protect her,
from the stones being hurled at them.
The stormy sea roared below,
lightning thundered the night sky ,
darkness seemed to swallow them.
They stood on the cliff,
while the mob surrounded them.
The villagers shouted and jeered
“Jump you wretched ones, jump!!”
“How dare you defy the social norms,
you are not meant to be together”.
They looked each other
and smiled, pitying the villagers
“Alas!! They don’t know love,
they don’t know they have wings”
and then they jumped,
not to fall but to fly .
A restaurant that removed your favorite item from the menu, a bad cover of a great song… Write a post about something that should’ve been left untouched, but wasn’t.Why was the original better?
My mother often talks about how things were when she was a child . The glimmer that I see in her eyes at that moment leaves me wondering if the era of modernisation has really done us any good when it comes to humanity , to compassion or have we all completely forgotten our roots . Do we need to go back and learn the lessons of solidarity from our elders?????
She grew up in a joint family and being landlords they resided in havelis that spread over acres of land. During festivals neighbour cum relatives vied with each other , each one of them putting up his best decorations. Festive processions , gatherings , music and dance used to go on for the whole night .They had ample time on their hands to go knocking at the neighbour’s door, to sit together and discuss all that mattered, to find out if others are doing well too . There was a sense of unity , a feeling that you are secure ,that someone other than your close ones looks out for you too.
A lot has changed now …..modernisation happened …people moved to towns forsaking their roots in search of better lives.But the question is, are we happy or more content with our lives than the people back then or have the multiple deadlines and desires left us with no space to think of someone else.
The centuries old havelis now lie in ruins. Most of them have been replaced by new constructions. But among the few that are left ,you can still see the detailed architecture ,the hand-painted ceilings the beautifully carved window frames and doors. The havelis still tell their magnificent story of wonderful times when a colony was not one of families but a family itself.
I don’t know about others but I for sure am spellbound by the magic of minions . What’s there not to love….the childlike behaviour, the gibberish and the giggles, the odd innocence ..all of it and many more endearing acts.
For those few who aren’t familiar with minions ,they are henchmen of Gru the criminal mastermind and protagonist of Despicable Me movie.Eric Gullion the art director of the movie is their creator ,they have been voiced by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud . Also minions are the official mascots for Illumination Entertainment . In the new trailer of upcoming movie “Minions” we find that they have existed since the time when dinosaurs roamed the earth and have been searching for the most despicable master to serve since then. Well ,since I don’t want to spill the beans rest of the story you can find out by looking at the trailer.
It is said they have come from same strand of mutated DNA. In appearance minions are similar in shape and size i.e. small, yellow cylindrical in shape having one or two eyes with slight variations in height hair etc to tell them apart. They wear goggles accommodating their eyes , have only three fingers and go by many English names.
Now as for the personality these impulsive ,hard to control ,noisy ,creatures are extremely loyal to their master i.e. Gru . They are almost too willing to help with any evil plans and love trying new things . The idea of a heist or anything as such titillates them. But , at the same time they are friendly and fun-loving.Don’t let their small size and simple-mindedness fool you for they are also extremely capable of building weapons , operating computers , even driving .
If we look at why the Minions have become so popular with the audience worldwide ,there are numerous reasons .
First and foremost is their appearance , their behavior which is quite childish , the simple-mindedness makes them more adorable.Unlike others Gru and Minions share a relationship that is much more than a criminal mastermind and his henchmen. Gru knows all of them by name and even accedes most of their requests (including good night kisses :D)
The second is their unique language, the famed gibberish. Though they express themselves more through actions, one can notice few evident English or Spanish words in their jabber.Other languages such as French, Russian , Korean can also be heard in their speech.
In today’s humdrum where we are always dealing with immense workload and multiple deadlines , curbing our desire to have fun and enjoy ourselves ,minions get to play and party almost ever day. They are not bothered about anything, living their lives to the fullest. Thus our sub-conscious mind appeals to it because we too want a life like them devoid of any care and responsibilities.
Their impulsive nature is another reason, they don’t ponder upon the consequences of their actions. They are quite determined ,once they have made their mind about something they just go for it without waiting another second. We on the other hand think twice before acting, even if our heart desires for it.
The above reasons are only a few to mention, each one has their own for their likes or dislikes as I have mine. The first time I saw the Despicable Me movie I fell in love with the minions (sometimes even become one, talking in gibberish, singing the banana potato song…call me crazy :D) and that has compelled me to write this article.
There’s a child in each one of us , the one who tells us to forget about the people around us, to jump the stairs, to catch fireflies ,to fly kites, to let the time limits and schedules slide past us while we try to steal a moment of life for us and preserve it in a box to be opened in search of solace.
Let this child take over the adult in you for a moment. Let it show you what you are missing walking around with your heart and eyes closed. It maybe a hug from your sibling, glow in your mother’s eyes, a pat from your friend, a squeeze of hand , a blessing from elders , a smile from a stranger or love of a stray animal. Don’t let situations and work decide your path . If that has been the case so far , stop. Take a break, look where you have been running to and if that’s not the desired destination find what your heart aches for and make a fresh start.
Take time out for your family and friends, stop living in the virtual world(i.e.social media sites) , play with your children, bake a cake with your family , visit your grandparents , reunite with old friends or adopt a pup, the choice is yours as is your life. Just let that child out and live life to the fullest for you never know the value of something until its lost and then there’s only regret.
You know it’s never too late to shoot for the stars Regardless of who you are So do whatever it takes ‘Cause you can’t rewind a moment in this life Let nothing stand in your way Cause the hands of time are never on your side
Is there a period in your own personal life that you think of as the good old days? Tell us a story about those innocent and/or exciting times (or lack thereof).
The post is an old one but to me it seemed to be an apt response to the challenge.
In my childhood I had read the poem “daffodils” by wordsworth and it amazed me , still does, how the poet captured the moment. I think we can all relate to such moments in our lives, memories which bring smile upon our faces. In fact these are the small things which we most often seem to miss in our daily rush.
Thinking of such moments I see flashes of old memory , a cat in a mustard field, fireflies in a jar , being chased by the guard in mango orchards, building mud houses, bathing in rain , aroma of wet soil and new books,a duckling following its mother,the swings under the mango tree,the sparrows chirping in our courtyard….the list goes on. There are numerous such memories which appear randomly in moments of solitude.
I have these memories because I was brought up differently than my siblings or friends. I grew up in a village and was home schooled for few years. The place where my father was posted as a doctor was a tribal area ,surrounded by hills, it was a serene place untouched by melancholy of urban life. Living there i learned to appreciate nature’s gift to mankind . Our day usually began with a long walk down the village road which led us to a narrow river . I loved the riverside , there i used to sit quietly ,trying to take in all the beauty around me at once ,taking deep breathes inhaling the sweet aroma of wet soil. The beautiful winged insects, the flowers,the sound of rushing water left a lasting impression on my mind.
My school was no less different, built of mud it had thatched roof and only two classrooms. We had to carry our own sitting mats for there was no such arrangement for the students. In the rainy season the classrooms often got filled with rainwater so all of us used to sit in the courtyard chanting in unison ,the alphabets, at the fearsome sound of teacher’s cane. I still remember how one day i went back home crying for i had lost my mat and at that time it somehow seemed to me to be a treasured possession.
Well I don’t know how others would relate to my experiences. But for me they are unique, treasured memories. I am glad I had them for they taught me to appreciate small things in my life ,to be grateful for the flower that blooms in my garden, to share love and compassion ,to appreciate the beauty all around me. We just need to open our eyes and then even a little red bug in the grass will bring smile on our faces.
Whenever people ask me questions “heyy ! what do you want to do in your life?” ,here at my hometown they expect me to give answers such as an engineer , a lawyer , a doctor and yes i give them the desired reply. But its not an honest one for on the inside i am screaming to get away from these bondages. No i don’t want to become an engineer or anything as such,I just want to play violin , learn how to skate ,fly kites, visit valley of flowers , join a soccer team and to go on a long unplanned journey with just my camera and a backpack. But it doesn’t work like that , one has to earn money and for that one has to work hard ,my family tells me that. Then after a while you realize that in putting everything right and in the rat race of existence, you lost yourself somewhere. You lost all those dreams and aspirations , you get so entangled in this humdrum you just don’t think of it any more or even if they come to you for a moment you reject them as a fool’s errand. You yourselves look upon your hidden aspirations as childish.
On the one hand my family encourages me to achieve these big goals, get a reputed job, do something extraordinary.On the other hand when it comes to safety they ask me to keep my head low and not to retort if someone’s passing snide or cheap comments at me. Its funny that i am asked to dress in a way which doesn’t attract attention. There have been instances which compell me to think that my clothes are never the reason for eve teasing, its in their minds and dressing modestly just creates an impression for them that the girl wont create a scene and will let the matter pass. I dont blame my parents ,it’s not their fault. they are plagued by the fear, what if someone throws acid at her or she doesnt return home after classes. These incidents are swelling up in numbers. These days going out is not easy but its not impossible .There are good things too in the form of trusted friends , sweet memories and the hope of fulfilling my aspirations .These apprehensions seem too small in comparison then.
Thoughts Unbound 