Maihar Darshan

Debi Mukherjee (India, 23/02/08)

Maihar is a city in the Satna district of Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is well connected by major rail routs and national highway-NH-7. The place is famous for Sharda Devi (Goddess for learning, music, art and culture and river) temple situated on the top of a hill known as Trikuta around 5km from the heart of the town. The temple is a located 1063 step to the top. Millions of people throng the place round the year considering it not only as a pilgrimage but also as a cultural center for many renowned world famous musicians.

We have been hearing about Maihar since ages. Whenever we used to cross this place while traveling to and fro from Kolkata to Bhopal and back, we used to feel the urge of getting down to the station to pay our homage to this place.

During our recent trip to Kolkata we had taken a vow to visit this place while returning to Bhopal. Accordingly we booked our ticket planning to stop over at Maihar for the day and undertaking back journey to Bhopal at night. Our train was scheduled to reach Maihar at about 11am in the morning and our next train was at 9-30pm in evening. This time gap could have been utilized for lodging in a hotel for taking bath and freshening up before visiting the temple. Unfortunately our train from Kolkata was badly delayed reaching Maihar at about 5-30pm in the evening. There was hardly any time for checking in a hotel. Moreover the temple closes at 8 pm. But what was to do with the luggage? One cannot climb up 1063 stairs and come down carrying the luggage. An auto-driver who agreed to take us to the temple, assured that there are shops in the plane land in the vicinity of the temple where one can buy things for offering to the Deity and visit the temple after keeping the luggage in their safe custody. These shops also provide the facility for taking bath.

Considering the time constraints we straightway proceeded to pay our obeisance to the temple.

One may wonder that climbing up 1063 steps must be very tiring. In fact it is not so. The steps are lower in height except about 50 stairs towards the top which are steep. The place is well lighted having overhead roof all through so as to protect the pilgrims from Sun and rain. The stairs have railings on both sides providing support to the climbers. In between there are benches where the pilgrims could rest a while instead of climbing up the stairs in one go.

According to Hindu scriptures, there is a mythological story associated with this temple. King Daksha is said to be one of Brahma’s sons. One of his daughters was Shakti or Dakshayani. She married Shiva against the wishes of her father. Daksha’s disliked Shiva so intensely that he distanced himself from his daughter. Once Daksha arranged for a big “Havan (Yogya-worship of Fire followed by offerings)”. He invited all and sundry, family and allies, gods and rishis except Shakti and Shiva.

However, Shakti could not resist the temptation of presenting herself in this big event even without invitation. King Daksha and his courtiers hurled abusive languages against Shiva. Unable to tolerate shameless insult to her husband in his absence, she committed suicide by jumping on the fire. Hearing this, Shiva was infuriated.

Shiva grabbed a lock of his matted hair and dashed it to the ground. From the two pieces rose the ferocious Virbhadra and the terrible Mahakali. Upon Shiva’s orders they stormed the ceremony and killed Daksha and many other guests. Terrified and with remorse, the remaining guests present there propitiated Lord Shiva and begged his mercy to restore Daksha’s life and allow him to complete the worship. Shiva restored Daksha’s life with the head of a goat.

Shiva was so pained that he carried the dead corpse of Sati on his back and started striding about the earth in a destructive mood. Then Lord Vishnu, to save mankind, came up behind Shiva. He started cutting the body of Sati to pieces one by one hurling his discuss. Thus the body of Sati had been hewn into fifty-two dices.

Wherever a fragment touched earth, a shrine of mother worship is established and the place had become famous as “Peeth (a Sanskrit word)”. Ultimately conscious of the fact that the weight of the body was no longer there, Shiva retired alone to Kailash engrossed in his eternal meditation. It is said while Shiva was carrying the dead mother (Mai in Hindi) Goddess Sati, her necklace (har in Hindi) fell at this place and hence the name Maihar (meaning the necklace of mother).

Maihar also finds a prominent place in Indian classical music as the birthplace of the Maihar Gharana (a school or style) of Hindustani music. The greatest doyen of Indian classical music, Ustad Allauddin Khan (expired in 1972) lived here for a long time. He was the court Musician of Maihar Maharaja’s Palace. His students, Shrimati Annapurna Devi (Allauddin’s Khan’s daughter, Pandit Ravi Shankar (Alauddin Khan’s son-in-law); Ustad Ali Akbar Khan (Allauddin Khan’s son); Ustad Aashis Khan (Alauddin Khan’s grandson; Ustad Bahadur Khan (Allauddin Khan’s nephew), Rabin Ghose (Allauddin Khan’s student on violin); Pandit Pannalal Ghosh and Pandit Nikhil Banerjee popularized the style in the 20^th century. We also had the opportunity to visit the residence of Alauddin Khan which is now preserved as a cultural museum.

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