2 Muslims Have Worked At This Temple Since 1988. They Will Now Be Fired

Maihar in Madhya Pradesh is a town known for the Maa Sharda temple and for the Maihar gharana founded by sarod legend Baba Alauddin Khan.

With a long, syncretic history, Maihar now stares at a different future.

The state government has directed that Muslim employees can no longer work in the management committee of the temple. A letter signed by Pushpa Kalesh, deputy secretary of the state Ministry of Religious Trust and Endowments, has asked the temple committee to comply with the directive issued on January 17 and submit a report.

Two Muslim employees, working at the Maa Sharda temple since 1988, are set to lose their jobs. This, even though state government rules say no employee can be removed on religious grounds.

An order has also been issued to ban meat and liquor sales in Maihar.

Both orders were issued allegedly after supporters of the rightwing Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal approached Usha Singh Thakur, the Minister for culture, religious trust and endowment, in January.

District collector Anurag Verma, who also heads the temple management committee, has told the media that action will be taken according to rules. The Minister could not be reached for a comment.

On the surface, the order may seem to impact only two employees. But a recap of Maihar's history shows how deep the damage will be.

Maihar was home to Baba Alauddin Khan, legendary musician and founder of Maihar gharana that produced some of the biggest names in Indian classical music. Khan's renowned disciples include Pandit Ravi Shankar, Pandit Nikhil Banerjee, and his daughter Annapurna Devi and son Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.

A musician in the court of the Maharaja of Maihar, Khan is credited with composing several classical ragas. It is said that Khan would climb the 1,063 stairs leading to the Maa Sharda temple daily and play before the goddess. In his interviews, Pandit Ravi Shankar would recount how his mentor's home in Maihar was full of photographs of Goddess Kali, Lord Krishna and Jesus Christ. That house still stands in Maihar, unchanged, even though the world outside is changing.

Khan's legacy is not limited to his contribution to music. After an epidemic left behind many children orphaned, the legendary musician took them under his wing and a group, named Maihar Band, was formed. Maihar Band continues to this day and is in its fifth generation.

The Maa Sharda temple in Maihar, where Khan would pray and perform for the goddess, is a Shakti Peeth, one of the 51 most prominent shrines for followers of the Shakti tradition. The name of the temple town comes from the belief that the when Lord Shiva performed the Tandava with Sati's body, her necklace fell on Trikoot hill, giving the temple and the town the name Maihar (meaning mother's necklace). The temple is believed to have been built in 502 AD and draws pilgrims from across the country.