Maihar is a city and municipality in Satna district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Maihar is known for the temple of the revered mother goddess Sharda situated on Trikuta hill. Origin of the name: It is said that when lord Shiva was carrying the body of the dead mother goddess (Mai in Hindi) Sati, her necklace (har in Hindi) fell at this place and hence the name 'Maihar' (Maihar = Mai+Har, meaning the 'necklace of mother'). History: Maihar's history can be traced to the Paleolithic Age. The town was formerly the capital of the princely state of Maihar. The state was established in 1778 by Jogis,clan, who were granted land by the ruler of the nearby state of Orchha.(Maihar king developed the other state Vijayraghavgarh). The state became a princely state of British India in the early 19th century, and was administered as part of Bundelkhand Agency in the Central India Agency. In 1871 the eastern states of Bundelkhand Agency, including Maihar, were separated to form the new agency of Bagelkhand in Central India. In 1933 Maihar, along with ten other states in western Bagelkhand, were transferred back to the Bundelkhand Agency. The state had an area of 407 square miles (1,050 km2), and a population of 63,702 in 1901. The state, which was watered by the Tamas River, consists mainly of alluvial soil covering sandstone, and is fertile except in the hilly district of the south. A large area was under forest, the produce of which provided a small export trade. The title of the ruler was maharaja. The state suffered severely from famine in 1896–1897. Maihar became a station on the East Indian Railway (now the West Central Railway) line between Satna and Jabalpur, 97 miles (156 km) north of Jabalpur. Extensive ruins of shrines and other buildings surround the town. Sharda temple Maihar: There are lot of places at Maihar city to visit like, Maa Sharda Devi Temple : Maihar city is known for the Maa Sharda devi temple (around of 502 A.D.), situated at the top of Trikoota hill which is around 5 km from the railway station. There are 1063 steps to reach the top of the hill. Gola Math Temple : This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. This east facing Pancharathi temple is built in Nagar. Ram Mandir : This temple is dedicated to Shree Ram situated in Maihar's Oldest Street Purani Basti. Maihar is placed quite well as far as connectivity is concerned. It is connected via both major rail routes and National Highway 7. The Mahakoshal Express provides a daily direct connection from Delhi's Hazrat Nizamuddin station. The Mahakoshal train (Train no. is 12189(Jbp to Delhi) and 12190(Delhi to Jbp))runs between Hazrat Nizamuddin station and Jabalpur station which is situated about 722 kilometres (449 mi) past Maihar. Maihar railway station is situated in between Katni and Satna stations of the West Central Railway. During the Nav Ratra festivals there is a heavy rush of pilgims. Therefore, during these days all UP and DOWN trains stop at Maihar for the convenience of passengers. The nearest airports are Jabalpur and Khajuraho. Maihar has a prominent place in Indian classical music as the birthplace of the Maihar Gharana, a gharana (school or style) of Hindustani music. The greatest doyen of Indian classical music, Ustad Allauddin Khan (died 1972) lived here for a long time and was the court musician of Maihar Maharaja's palace. His students popularised the style in the 20th century. The first Ustad Allauddin Khan music conference was held by Shri Deep Chand Jain in 1962.