01Alha’s mother
Alha and Udal, the warrior brothers of the Chandela court of Mahoba whose deeds are sung in the Alha-khand, are said to have found the Devi in the forest on Trikuta hill. Alha called her Sharda Mai and did tapas here for twelve years, and the Devi blessed him with long life. The temple’s belief is that Alha still comes before dawn, before the doors open, and that the first puja of the day is already offered when the priests arrive. Below the hill are Alha’s pond and the akhara where the brothers wrestled. In the rainy season, villages across Bundelkhand still sing the Alha ballads in their full length.
02The necklace and the climb
Local tradition takes the town’s name from mai ka haar, the Mother’s necklace: when Bhagwan Vishnu’s chakra divided Sati’s body, her necklace fell on Trikuta. On that account Maihar is counted a Shakti Peetha by the people of the region and by many popular lists. The Peetha Nirnaya Tantra does not name it, so traditions differ. The climb is 1,063 steps from the foot of the hill; there is also a road for part of the way and a ropeway. Navratri in Chaitra and Ashwin brings lakhs of pilgrims, and the railway station of Maihar on the Katni–Satna line is busy day and night through the nine days.
Maihar station is on the Katni–Satna line, about 5 km from the foot of the hill. Start the climb early; in summer the steps are hot by mid-morning.
