Maner, also known as Maner Sharif, is a historic town and a

block Block or blocked may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Block programming, the result of a programming strategy in broadcasting * W242BX, a radio station licensed to Greenville, South Carolina, United States known as ''96.3 ...

Patna district Patna district is one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar state in eastern India. Patna, the capital of Bihar, is the district headquarters. The Patna district is a part of the Patna division. The Patna district is divided into 6 Subdivisio ...

Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...

, India. Situated approximately 24 km west of

Patna Patna (; , ISO 15919, ISO: ''Paṭanā''), historically known as Pataliputra, Pāṭaliputra, is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and largest city of the state of Bihar in India. According to the United Nations, ...

on NH-922, it is renowned for its Mughal-era

dargah A Sufi shrine or dargah ( ''dargâh'' or ''dargah'', Turkish: ''dergâh'', Hindustani: ''dargāh'' दरगाह درگاہ, ''dôrgah'') is a shrine or tomb built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often a Sufi saint or dervi ...

s and as an important

Sufi Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...

pilgrimage center.

Etymology

The ancient name of Maner was ''Maniyar Mathan'', meaning "musical city" in local tradition. The suffix "Sharif" (meaning noble) was added due to its association with Sufi saints.

History

A now-lost copper plate grant found at Maner, dated to 11 May 1124, indicates that Maner was the seat of a '' paṭṭalā'' (district) at that time. The grant records that the Gāhaḍavāla king Govindachandra donated two villages called Guṇāve and Paḍalī, both in the ''paṭṭalā'' of Maṇiari (i.e. Maner), to a

brāhmaṇa The Brahmanas (; Sanskrit: , IAST: ''Brāhmaṇam'') are Vedic śruti works attached to the Samhitas (hymns and mantras) of the Rig, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva Vedas. They are a secondary layer or classification of Sanskrit texts embedded wit ...

named Gaṇeśvaraśarman. The villages of Guṇāve and Paḍalī were presumably located somewhere near Maner, but their exact locations are unknown. Later, Maner gained prominence during the medieval period as a center of

Sufism Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...

: * 13th century: Became associated with Sufi saint Makhdoom Yahya Maneri * 1608: Death of Makhdoom Shah Daulat, another prominent Sufi saint * 1616: Construction of ''Bari Dargah'' (Great Shrine) by Ibrahim Khan Kakar, the Mughal governor of Bihar * 1619: Construction of a mosque by Ibrahim Khan The town flourished as a center of Islamic learning during the Mughal period.

Geography

Maner is located at on the southern bank of the

Ganges The Ganges ( ; in India: Ganga, ; in Bangladesh: Padma, ). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international which goes through India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China." is a trans-boundary rive ...

river. The

Son River Sone River, also spelt Son River, is a perennial river located in central India. It originates near Amarkantak Hill in Pendra (Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi district), Chhattisgarh and finally merges with the Ganges river near Maner in Patna, Biha ...

meets the Ganges at Haldi Chhapra near Maner.

Climate

Maner has a

Humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(Köppen ''Cwa'') with: * Hot summers (April–June) * Monsoon rains (July–September) * Mild winters (November–February)

Demographics

As of the 2011 census: * Population: 26,912 * Gender ratio: 947 females per 1000 males * Literacy rate: 71.12% (higher than state average) * Major languages:

Magahi Magahi (), also known as Magadhi (), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal states of eastern India, and in the Terai region of Nepal. Magadhi Prakrit was the ancestor of Magahi, from which the latter's name de ...

(94.24%),

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

(5.76%)

Administration

Maner is a

community development block In India, a community development block (CD block) or simply Block is a sub-division of District, administratively earmarked for planning and development. In tribal areas, similar sub-divisions are called tribal development blocks (TD blocks). T ...

consisting of 38 villages. It is part of the Maner Assembly constituency and Pataliputra Lok Sabha constituency.

Landmarks

Religious sites

* Bari Dargah: Tomb of Shah Daulat (1616), fine example of Mughal architecture * Chhoti Dargah: Tomb of Makhdoom Yahya Maneri * Haldi Chhapra: Confluence of Son and Ganges rivers * Maner Jain Temple: Ancient Jain pilgrimage site

Other attractions

* Maner Fort: Ruins of an ancient fort * British-era bridge over Son River

Culture

Festivals

* Urs: Annual festival at the dargahs attracting thousands * Chhath Puja: Celebrated at Haldi Chhapra ghat

Cuisine

* Maner ka Laddu: Famous sweet made with

ghee Ghee is a type of clarified butter, originating from South Asia. It is commonly used for cooking, as a Traditional medicine of India, traditional medicine, and for Hinduism, Hindu religious rituals. Description Ghee is typically prepared by ...

and chhana * Traditional Bihari dishes: Litti chokha, Khaja, Thekua

Economy

Maner's economy is primarily based on: * Agriculture (rice, wheat, maize) * Small-scale industries * Religious tourism The town is famous for its sweet shops, particularly Maner Sweets established in 1935.

Transport

* Road: Connected via NH-922 to Patna and Arrah * Rail: Nearest station is Danapur (20 km) * Air: Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport (30 km)

Education

Notable educational institutions: * Ram Nagina Singh Inter College (established 1948) * Government Girls High School * Maner College (affiliated to Patna University)

Notable people

* Kunal Singh - Bhojpuri actor * Ramayan Tiwari - Bollywood actor

References

External links

*
Maner Sharif on Bihar Tourism
{{Tourist attractions in Patna Cities and towns in Patna district Sufi shrines in India