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Maharashtra Shani Shingnapur
Shani Shingnapur is a village in the state of Maharashtra in India. It is situated in the Nevasa taluka of Ahmednagar district and lies at a distance of 35 km from Ahmednagar city. The village is famous for its Shani temple. Lord Shani is believed to be the God of the Saturn planet.
Shingnapur is also well-known for the fact that all houses in the village have door frames without doors. In spite of this, no theft has been reported in the village. The residents of the village do not lock up their valuables. They are of the opinion that their temple is a very special pace and the God there is highly powerful. They believe that anyone who attempts theft will be punished by Lord Shani himself. The deity is believed to have emerged from earth in the form an imposing, black stone and is considered "Swayambhu" meaning self- manifested or self-evolved. Though no one is sure when exactly this happened, it is believed that the Shanaishwara statue was found many years ago by local shepherds.
The village has a post office, primary schools and a high school. In January 2011, a “lockless” branch was opened by the United Commercial Bank in the village, the first bank of this type in the country. This was done keeping in mind, the almost zero rate of crime in the village. This development made the local police unhappy since the Central Government of India had ruled that banks needed to have high levels of security. Though the bank had doors, they were always kept open. Local officials reported that sufficient precautions were in place to ensure the safety of lockers and crucial documents.
History
The story of the self-manifested statue has been handed down through generations by word of mouth. According to it, when a shepherd touched a particular stone with a pointed stick, the stone began to bleed. The shepherds were astonished and soon all the villagers gathered to watch the miracle.
Later that night, the most pious and devoted shepherd saw Lord Shanaishwara in his dreams. He was told that the unique black stone was the Lord’s swayambhu form. The shepherd asked the Lord whether a temple should be constructed for him. To this, Lord Shani replied that he did not need a roof since the whole sky was his roof and he would prefer to be under the open sky. He asked the shepherd to perform daily prayers and a ceremony with oil called 'Tailabhisheka' on every Saturday. He promised that the whole village will never fear from dacoits or thieves.
Even today, Lord Shanaishwara can be seen in the open without any roof above. Till date, none of the village dwellings have doors, whether they are houses, shops or temples. It has been said that outsiders who have attempted thefts have faced severe consequences like serious illnesses and even death before they crossed the village boundary or within minutes of their act.
The Shrine of Shani
The shrine of Lord Shani consists of a five and a half feet tall black rock symbolizing the God which is installed on an open-air platform. A trident is placed on one side and the statue of the bull Nandi (Lord Shiva’s mount) is on the other side. There are small idols of Lord Shiva and Hanuman in front.
The Shani temple has about 30,000 to 45,000 visitors daily. This goes up to about three lakhs on the new moon day which is believed to be a very auspicious day for the appeasement of Lord Shani. Devotees bathe the image of the Lord with oil and water and make other offerings. A fair is held in honour of the deity on this day and a palanquin procession of Lord Shani is conducted. The birthday of Lord Shani, Shani Jayanti, is celebrated with great devotion.
How To Reach
Shani Shingnapur is approximately 35 km from the city of Ahmednagar city, 160 km northeast of Pune and 84 km from Aurangabad. The nearest airport is in the city of Aurangabad at a distance of 90 kilometres from Shani Shingnapur. The closest railway station is at Srirampur. The distance from Mumbai is about 265 km by road. Shani Shingnapur can also be reached from Shirdi, another religious place in Maharashtra at a distance of about 65 km.
State transport buses and private taxis, buses and jeeps are readily available from the airport and railway station to Shani Shingnapur.
Weather And Time To Visit
In the summer months from March to June, Ahmednagar has hot and humid weather. Temperatures rise up to 40 degrees centigrade. Monsoons follow the summer and this is quite a comfortable period in which you can enjoy the beauty of the surroundings. Sometimes heavy rains may cause a slight interruption in your travel plans. The winter season lasts from October to May. The weather at this time is pleasantly cold and mostly dry. This is the peak season for tourists and definitely the best time to visit.
Accomodation
Though you may not find very comfortable accommodation in the actual village of Shani Shingnapur, you can find all types of hotels within 60 km distance. There are budget hotels and also star rated ones available. Make sure to make advance bookings especially when there are auspicious days celebrated.
Rules And Rituals Of The Temple
As per custom, only men are allowed to go near the idol at the Shani Shingnapur temple. They need to bathe before that and can approach the idol wearing the garments provided at the temple. There is a separate queue for those who wish to go to the idol. Women can see the idol from a distance only.
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