Maihar is a town and municipality in the Satna district of the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India. The town is best known as the seat of the temple of Sharda Devi, situated atop the Trikuta hill, which draws large numbers of pilgrims throughout the year, particularly during the Navaratri festivals. Maihar is also associated with the Maihar gharana of Hindustani classical music, founded by Ustad Allauddin Khan in the early twentieth century.
| Type | Town and municipality (Nagar Palika) |
|---|---|
| State | Madhya Pradesh |
| District | Satna |
| Region | Vindhya / Bagelkhand |
| Languages | Hindi, Bagheli |
| Notable for | Sharda Devi Temple; Maihar gharana of music |
Maihar lies in the Vindhya plateau region of northern Madhya Pradesh, on the foothills associated with the Trikuta hill. The town is positioned along the Mumbai–Howrah railway corridor and on the highway network connecting Satna with Katni and Jabalpur. The surrounding region is characterised by limestone deposits, which have supported a sizeable cement industry around the town.
The name Maihar is popularly explained as a contraction of Mai-har, meaning "necklace of the Mother", referring to a legend connected with the Goddess Sati associated with the Sharda shrine. Before independence, Maihar was a small princely state under the Central India Agency, ruled by a line of Kachwaha chiefs, and acceded to the Indian Union in 1948. After the reorganisation of states, the area was incorporated into Madhya Pradesh and placed within Satna district.
The temple of Sharda Devi stands on the summit of the Trikuta hill and is approached by a long flight of stone steps; a ropeway service has been operated to assist pilgrims in reaching the shrine. The site is regarded by devotees as one of the Shakti Peethas. According to local tradition, the legendary warriors Alha and Udal of Mahoba were ardent devotees of the goddess at this shrine.
Maihar gives its name to one of the most influential schools of twentieth-century Hindustani instrumental music. The Maihar gharana was developed by Ustad Allauddin Khan, who served at the court of the Maharaja of Maihar. His disciples include the sitarist Ravi Shankar, the sarodist Ali Akbar Khan, the flautist Pannalal Ghosh, and the surbahar player Annapurna Devi. Allauddin Khan also founded the Maihar Band, a children's orchestra that brought together orphans and underprivileged youth to perform Indian classical music on a variety of instruments.
The local economy of Maihar combines pilgrimage-related services, agriculture, and industry. Limestone mining and cement manufacturing form a major part of the industrial base, with cement plants of national producers operating in the vicinity. Agriculture in the surrounding rural area is dominated by wheat, paddy, pulses, and oilseeds.
Maihar railway station lies on the Katni–Satna section of the West Central Railway, on the broad-gauge route linking Mumbai and Howrah. Several express trains halt at the station, particularly during the Navaratri pilgrimage season, when special services are typically run. National and state highways link the town with Satna to the north-west and Katni to the south-east; the nearest airports are at Khajuraho and Jabalpur.
Civic administration is carried out by the Maihar municipal council. The town serves as the headquarters of the Maihar tehsil within Satna district and is part of the Satna parliamentary constituency. In recent years, proposals have been advanced for the creation of a separate Maihar district carved out of Satna.