On the Trikuta hill above Maihar in the Satna region of Madhya Pradesh — reached by a climb of over a thousand steps, now eased by a ropeway — is revered the temple of Sharda Devi as a Shakti Peetha where, in the tradition of the Peethas, the necklace (haar) of Sati fell; from this, Maihar (mai-haar, the mother's necklace) is said to take its name.
The Goddess is worshipped as Sharda, a form of the Mother as wisdom and power. A beloved legend tells of the immortal warrior-devotees Alha and Udal, said to worship the Goddess here still, before any other pilgrim arrives. Sharda of Maihar is among the most visited Devi shrines of central India.
