It is said that when Lord Shiva was conveying the body of the dead mother goddess (Mai in Hindi) Sati, her jewelry (har in Hindi) fell at this spot and thus the name "Maihar" (Maihar = Mai+Har, which means the "jewelry of the mother"). There is one of the stories behind Maihar temple, other story is related to Warriors Alha and his sibling Udal. 

As indicated by the local people of Maihar, the warriors Alha and Udal, system under King Paramardideva Chandel who had a war with Prithvi Raj Chauhan, were exceptionally solid devotees of Sharda Devi. It is said that they are the initial ones to visit the goddess in this distant woodland. 

They called the mother goddess by the name "Sharda Mai", and from this time forward she got well known as "Mata Sharda Mai". Alha adored for a long time and got the amaratva with the endowments of Sharda Devi. Behind the sanctuary and downhill is Alha Pond. 

A good way off of 2 km from this lake is arranged an "akhara" (wrestling ring) where Alha and Udal used to rehearse kushti (wrestling). The individuals of Maihar accept that Alha is as yet alive and comes at 4:00 a.m. to adore the Goddess Sharda.