function errorMessage(message) {
        alert(message);
          $('#' + $("#grid").id + '_err').remove();
          // insert div with the error description before the grid
          grid.closest('div.ui-jqgrid').before(
            '<div id="' + $("#grid").id + '_err" style="max-width:' + $("#grid").style.width +
            ';"><div class="ui-state-error ui-corner-all" style="padding:0.7em;float:left;"><span class="ui-icon ui-icon-alert" style="float:left; margin-right: .3em;"></span><span style="clear:left">' +
          message +
                       '</span></div><div style="clear:left"/></div>')
          }

    <div id="grid1container" style="width: 100%;">
        <table id="grid">
        </table>
        <div id="pager">
        </div>
    </div>