Chandel Raja Archives

20/Aug/2022

Location:

The Holy Maa Sharda Temple is situated in Village Maihar of Satna District in Madhya Pradesh. The approximate distance from Satna district headquarters is 40 Kms. The temple is positioned on the Trikut peak at a height of 600 ft from ground level. To reach the shrine everybody has to climb 1001 stairs. The temple is managed by Maa Sharda Prabhand Samiti.

Maa Sharda Temple is a famous shrine in Satna district tehsil of Madhya Pradesh. It was not Sati’s body, but her voice that fell here. So this place does not belong to the fifty-one Peeths but is one of the twenty-six Uppeeths. Since Satimai Ki Har, Maihar, Mehar has become Mehar.

The location of the Peeth is on the top of Trikoot Hill. Mumbai Mail (Via Allahabad) is the suitable train from Howrah to reach this Mahatirtha. Maihar or Maihar is the intermediate station between the two major stations after Allahabad, Satna, and Katni. The distance from this railway station to this Devisthan of Trikut Parbat is only five kilometers. Autos, tempos, trekkers, and rickshaws are available to go to Mandirmarg from the station and bus stand. It crowded with passengers throughout the year. But most of the tourists and pilgrims come here from Jabalpur and Satna by bus or motor. Along Jabalpur-Satna Road. Beautiful pitched road. The car does not have to stumble as there are not so many potholes anywhere. Such roads are almost everywhere in Madhya Pradesh.

The Temple:

As Vaishnodevi is well known in North India, Maa Sharda Temple is a highly awakened tirtha in Central India. Everyone knows the name in one sentence, the forehead is raised by the name of Sardamata, the words. Mochakarti is a high mountain. Height 600 feet. The number of stairs to climb this mountain is one thousand and one. However, this climb is very difficult. But there is also a ropeway system.

A beautiful park at the foot of Trikut Hill and allow to take rest for a while before breaking up the hill. Came here and was fascinated. In the middle of the garden, there is a raised altar. There are rows of Navadurga idols. These black stone idols are very beautiful. This place is known as Adishakti Mandir.

Maa Sharda Temple on the hilltop. Step by step the stairs went up the hill. Slowly, one after another, one can break down the stairs and can come to the upper courtyard. After that, has to climb a few more steps and came to the Nat temple built above.

Maa Sharda Temple accessed by a narrow staircase surrounded by railings high up on the mountain. Can also proceed in the same way and visit the Mother Goddess. Goddess here is Trigunatmika. She exists as Mahalakshmi, Mahakali and Mahasaraswati. She worshiped as Saraswati or Sarla. The small black stone sardamai on the altar. Tight eyes. Noth in the nose. On the head is an artisan silver crown. A large silver umbrella hangs above. Just seeing idols creates a wonderful joy in the heart.

Legend:

The priest narrated about the greatness of the goddess – this pilgrimage was hidden from the public eye for a long time. Raja Durjan Singh of Mehr discovered the place one night. At that time the goddess said to the king in the guise of an old woman, “O king! This is Mother Sarada. Sometimes she exists in the form of Kali and destroys evil forces, sometimes in the form of Mahalakshmi, the ruler of wealth, and sometimes in the form of Goddess Saraswati, the ruler of knowledge. His abode on this mountain peak. At that place, the voice of the goddess fell. So, this mountain is his favorite.

There is a stone idol of Goddess Devi in a cave on this mountain. If a temple and a road to the temple are made there, the people of the state can come here and worship the Goddess. One who devotes himself to Saradama will surely fulfill his puja or desire.’

After hearing about the old lady, King Mandir and the goddess revealed her glory to the people by making the way of travel. The temple built on consecutive square pillars. Surrounded by railings. A red flag flutters on top of a prominent temple. Far from the temple, the mountains and nature captured in the landscape.

One more story can be heard. The story is about the establishment of the Maa Sharda Temple. In the 1100 century, the commander of the Chandel king was the mighty hero Alha. They were five brothers. Among them, two brothers Alha and Udal were commanders of Chandel Raja. These two brothers together set up the idol of Sarada Devi in the temple on the hill. Alha Maa was such a devoted devotee of Sarada that she once sat and performed penance on this Trikut mountain for 12 years straight.

Even today, Alha comes to the temple every midnight to worship Ma Sarada. When the Maa Sharda Temple is opened at four in the morning, the idol of the mother and the floor of the temple is wet with holy water. Freshly blooming flowers are offered at the mother’s feet. This rule never wavers. But every night after the last aarti at 8 pm the sanctum sanctorum of the temple cleaned well and then the door closed from outside. After this door, there is an iron collapsible gate, after installing four big locks, all the priests go down together. No one allowed to stay in the temple at night. Only two security guards with guns stand guard at the gate of the temple all night. Despite all these arrangements, the puja bells at the Maa Sharda Temple can be heard at midnight.

There is also a legend that after twelve years of penance, Alha Maa Sarada was not able to see Darshan and in anger and grief he cut off his head to offer it to her. At that time mother, Sarada gave Alha darshan in her own form. He gave him the boon of immortality. With the boon of immortality on his head, King Alha participated in 54 battles. By the grace of Ma Sarada, King Alha won every battle. The story of these two brothers, Alha and Udal, still heard in the mouths of various folk artists.

Special Devotee:

Famous music saint Ustad Alauddin Khan lived in this Maihar. Originally a sarod player, he was a followed guru in various fields of classical music. The famous Maihar genre created by him. He used to practice music from this Maihar after coming from far away Bengal.

He used to say, music is my race and music is my tribe. In the state of Maihar, ‘Myhar College of Music’ is one of the best contributions of his music career. Sur Samrat Ustad Alauddin Khan used to tell his close students to come to Maa Sarada to learn music after first worshiping her and seeking her blessings. Even though he was a Muslim, he sometimes used to go to the temple of Ma Sarada to listen to the sitar.

There is no stop in the movement of pilgrims from far and wide to this Maa Sharda Temple in Maihar in Madhya Pradesh. The idol here is Goddess Durga.

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