The Historic town of Maner, which once lay at the junction of the river Ganga with the Son, presents itself to the traveler on the National Highway No. 30, from Varanasi to Patna, at a distance of about 17 kms from Danapur, and about 30 kms from Patna Railway Station. The Ganga-Son junction is now located at a few kilometers from Maner. A large sandy expanse covers the space between Maner and the river, which gets flooded with the river waters during the rains, and is exploited for its sands used in construction works.

A small distance from Maner, lies the British-built rail-cum-road Sone Bridge at Koelwar, which still caters to the needs of modern travelers, though under heavy pressure. The town of Maner is known for its historical remains which attract the attention of visitors, and often transport one’s imagination to the times when the place would have been in its full glory. The town is revered as a bastion of Sufism and is home to the tombs of famous medieval Sufi saints.

The remains at Maner include beautiful medieval tombs of important Sufi saints. It has become contemporarily famous for its delicious laddoos (a local sweet), and for the Sufi festivals hosted by the tourism department from time to time. As one glosses through the history of Maner one finds that not much is known about its ancient history though it had been very important in medieval times.

To be continued....