Maihar: Music and Art

Just three hour’s drive from the city of Jabalpur, Maihar is a unique town, ideal for a day trip. This is where the famous classical musician Ustad Baba Allauddin Khan had settled in 1918, when the local ruler Maharaja Brijnath Singh Jiu Deo invited him to become his court musician. Besides further developing the Maihar gharana of music, and training a number of musicians who went on to become very famous, Khan also formed the Maihar Band with orphaned children whom he mentored. This band still exists today, albeit with a different generation of musicians. They perform at various cultural events across the country. The band practices every morning at the Maihar music school. It’s worth spending an hour there listening to their soulful ragas.

While in Maihar, take a cable car to the top of Trikoota hill to visit the Maa Sharda Devi Temple and enjoy the views from above.

Eight kilometres from Maihar, past the Tamas river, is Art Ichol, another local gem. This is a creative commune for artists, set up by artist and gallery owner Ambica Beri in February 2015. The green space is filled with a variety of art installations and sculptures, most of them upcycled from metal scrap. Art Ichol is open to the public and artists alike. If your stay is longer than a day, pleasant accommodation is available at Art Ichol, or at Beri’s 100-year-old heritage home in Maihar.

Visit Madhya Pradesh Tourism

Abhinav Kakkar