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 ...
in
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 ...
of
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, ...
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
Indian copper plate inscriptions are legal records engraved on copper plates. The practice was widespread and long-running in the Indian subcontinent; it may date back to as early as the 3rd millennium BCE, however the vast majority of recovered ...
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
Kamaluddin Yahya Maneri (; Died 1323) popularly known as Makhdoom Yahya Maneri was an Indian Sufi saint of the 13th century. His tomb is known as Badi Dargah, near a mosque located in Maner Sharif, 29 km from Patna, Bihar, India.
Early life an ...
* 1608: Death of
Makhdoom Shah Daulat
Makhdoom (, meaning ''one who is served'' and sometimes spelled Makhdum,) is an Arabic word meaning "Teacher of Sunnah." It is a title and group of Pirs, and landlords in South and Central Asia.
People with the title Makhdoom
* Makhdoom Yahya M ...
, another prominent Sufi saint
* 1616: Construction of ''Bari Dargah'' (Great Shrine) by
Ibrahim Khan Kakar
Ibrahim may refer to:
* Ibrahim (name), including a list of people with the name
** Abraham in Islam
* Ibrahim (surah), a surah of the Qur'an
* ''Ibrahim'' (play) or ''Ibrahim The Illustrious Bassa'', a 1676 tragedy by Elkanah Settle, based on a ...
, 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 ...
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
Maner is one of 243 constituencies of legislative assembly of Bihar. It comes under Pataliputra Lok Sabha constituency along with other assembly constituencies viz. Danapur, Masaurhi, Phulwari, Paliganj and Bikram.Pataliputra Lok Sabha constituency
Pataliputra is one of the 543 parliamentary constituencies in India. The constituency is located in Patna district in Bihar. Until 2008, there was only one Lok Sabha seat for Patna, capital of Bihar.
Assembly constituencies
Assembly constit ...
.
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
Chhena () or chhana () is a kind of acid-set cheese originating in the Indian subcontinent that is made from water buffaloDalby, A 2009, ''Cheese: A Global History'', Reaktion Books, p. 73, Kapoor, S & Kapoor, A 2006, ''Sanjeev Kapoor's No-oil V ...
Khaja
Khaja or Khajuri ( Bhojpuri: 𑂎𑂔𑂳𑂩𑂲, romanized: Khajurē) is an Indian deep-fried pastry, commonly filled with fruit or soaked with sugar syrup.
History
Khaja, plain or sweet mentioned in Silao, was a wheat flour preparation ...
,
Thekua
Thekua (also spelt as ''Thokwa'' or ''Thekariis'')'','' also known as Khajuria, Tikari and Thokni, is an ''Indo-Nepalese sweet dish'' popular in Southern Nepal and the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh. Thekua is a reve ...
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
Danapur Nizamat or Danapur is an Indian satellite town and one of six subdivisions (tehsil) in the Patna district of Bihar state.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
Patna University is a public state university in Patna, Bihar, India. It was established on 1 October 1917 during the British Raj. It is the first university in Bihar and the seventh oldest university in the Indian subcontinent in the modern e ...
)
Notable people
*
Kunal Singh
Kunal Singh (29 September 1976 – 7 February 2008), known professionally as Kunal, was an Indian actor who worked mainly in Tamil cinema. He is best known for his romantic role in Kathir's ''Kadhalar Dhinam'' (1999), which is his debut film.
...
- Bhojpuri actor
*
Ramayan Tiwari
Ramayan Tiwari was a Bollywood actor who was more famous by his surname Tiwari. He worked in approximately 125 movies in his 36 year long film career. He has worked in Bollywood movies like ''Madhumati, Yahudi, Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai ...