About Maihar
Maihar city is known for the Maa Sharda devi temple(around of 502 A.D.), set at the highest of Trikoota hill that is around five kilometre from the railway station. There are 1063 steps to reach the top of the hill, currently ropeway facility is also available there.
The temple of Maa Sharda is situated on a height of aprox 587 feets between the round shaped hills called Trikoot parvat and is one of the 51 Shaktipeetha. Maihar wali Mata is an another name of Mata Sharda, a form of Mata Durga. In actual Maihar is the name of the place where the temple of Mata Sharda is situated.
Millions of pilgrims visit the temple all-round the year. It is considered to be a very powerful place of worship. It is about 5 KM from Maihar Station. There are 1063 steps to reach the top of the hill, now ropeway facility is also available there, it is a great boon to the pilgrims (particularly the old and the handicapped) to fulfill their wish to have the audience of Mother Goddess Sharda.
According to a belief, when Prithviraj Chauhan defeated king Parmal then in anger Aalha took out his sword to kill all the army of Prihviraj Chauhan but goddess Sharda caught his hands and stopped him.
There is an Aalha and Udal arena in the forest. There is also a pond at this place whose water never finishes. It is said that even today Aalha comes everyday to offer flowers to Mata.It is said that the devotees like Aalha-Udal and Dhanu etc., established the temple of Mata to gain victory in the war and to please the goddess he even sacrificed his son Indal. The belief also states that Aalha -Udal comes to the temple after it is closed to worship Mata.
There is one ancient inscription near the feet of stone sculpture of Sharda Devi situated in Sharda Devi temple. There is another statue of Lord Narsingh along with Sharda Devi. These statues were established by Nupula Deva in 502 AD.
Maihar is additionally known for the Indian Classical Music.Ustad Allauddin Khan founder of the Maihar-Senia gharana was from Maihar. He was awarded by the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian honour in 1971. His known students are: Sitarist Pandit Ravi Shankar , Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.
