Shani Shingnapur
Encyclopedia
Shani Shingnapur or Shani Shinganapur or Shingnapur or Sonai is a village in the India
n state of Maharashtra
. Situated in Nevasa
taluka in Ahmednagar district
, the village is known for its popular temple of Shani
, the Hindu
god of the planet (graha) Saturn. Shingnapur is 35 km from Ahmednagar city.
Shingnapur is also famous for the fact that no house in the village has doors, only door frames. Despite this, no theft is reported in the village. Villagers never keep their valuables under lock and key. Villagers believe that the temple is a "jagrut devasthan" (lit. "alive temple"), meaning that the god here is very powerful. They believe that god Shani punishes anyone attempting theft.
The village has a post office and a high school known as Shri Shanishwar Vidya Mandir besides the primary schools run by the Zilla Parishad
. The chief source of water supply in the villages is wells.
In January 2011, the United Commercial (UCO) Bank opened a 'lockless' branch in the village, the first of its kind in the country, taking note of the near-zero crime rate in the region. The local police were reported to be unhappy over this development and that it amounted to a breach of conditions, because the Central government of India has made it mandatory for all banks to have high security.The bank has doors,but they will always remain open. However, it was reported by the local legislator and the bank officials that adequate precautions were being taken for the safety of lockers and important documents.
(trident) is placed along the side of the image and a Nandi (bull) image is on the south side. In front are the small images of Shiva
and Hanuman
.
Generally, the temple has 30-40,000 visitors a day, which swells to around three lakh (i.e. three hundred thousand) on amavasya
(the new moon day), believed to the most auspicious day to appease Lord Shani. The village holds a fair in honour of the deity on this day. A bigger festival is held on new moon days that fall on Saturdays. Devotees bathe Lord Shani's image with water and oil and offer flowers, and udid to him. A palanquin procession of Shani is held on the day of the fair. Other festivals include the birthday of Shani, Shani Jayanti.
The shrine gained popularity with the decade-old film Surya Putra Shanidev made by the film producer Gulshan Kumar
.
and 84 kilometres (52.2 mi) from Aurangabad. The nearest airport is at Aurangabad
which is 90 kilometres (55.9 mi) from Shani Shingnapur. Nearest railway station is Srirampur
. Distance from Mumbai
is about 330 kilometres (205.1 mi) by road. It can also be accessed from Shirdi, another religious place in Maharashtra. It is about 65 km on road.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state of Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
. Situated in Nevasa
Nevasa
Nevasa is a city in Nevasa tehsil of Ahmednagar district in the Indian state of Maharashtra.A famous temple of Shani, Shani Shingnapur is located near Sonai in Nevasa Taluka. Saint Dnyaneshwar wrote a dnaneshwari in Newasa beside a pole which is still there...
taluka in Ahmednagar district
Ahmednagar district
Ahmednagar district is the largest district of Maharashtra state in western India. The historical Ahmednagar city is the headquarters of the district. Ahmednagar was the seat of the Ahmednagar Sultanate of late medieval period . This district is also known for the towns of Shirdi associated with...
, the village is known for its popular temple of Shani
Shani
Sanskrit Śhani शनि, Kannada Śhani ಶನಿ ದೇವರು,Shani/Sani , is one of the Navagraha or Jyotiṣa . Shani is embodied in the planet Saturn and is the Lord of Saturday....
, the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
god of the planet (graha) Saturn. Shingnapur is 35 km from Ahmednagar city.
Shingnapur is also famous for the fact that no house in the village has doors, only door frames. Despite this, no theft is reported in the village. Villagers never keep their valuables under lock and key. Villagers believe that the temple is a "jagrut devasthan" (lit. "alive temple"), meaning that the god here is very powerful. They believe that god Shani punishes anyone attempting theft.
The village has a post office and a high school known as Shri Shanishwar Vidya Mandir besides the primary schools run by the Zilla Parishad
Zilla Parishad
Zilla Parishad is a local government body at the district level in India. It looks after the administration of the rural area of the district and its office is located at the district headquarters...
. The chief source of water supply in the villages is wells.
In January 2011, the United Commercial (UCO) Bank opened a 'lockless' branch in the village, the first of its kind in the country, taking note of the near-zero crime rate in the region. The local police were reported to be unhappy over this development and that it amounted to a breach of conditions, because the Central government of India has made it mandatory for all banks to have high security.The bank has doors,but they will always remain open. However, it was reported by the local legislator and the bank officials that adequate precautions were being taken for the safety of lockers and important documents.
Shrine of Shani
The shrine for Shani consists of a five and a half feet high black rock installed on an open-air platform, which symbolizes the god Shani. A TrishulaTrishula
A trishula is a type of Indian trident but also found in Southeast Asia. It is commonly used as a Hindu-Buddhist religious symbol. The word means "three spear" in Sanskrit and Pali....
(trident) is placed along the side of the image and a Nandi (bull) image is on the south side. In front are the small images of Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
and Hanuman
Hanuman
Hanuman , is a Hindu deity, who is an ardent devotee of Rama, a central character in the Indian epic Ramayana and one of the dearest devotees of lord Rama. A general among the vanaras, an ape-like race of forest-dwellers, Hanuman is an incarnation of the divine and a disciple of Lord Rama in the...
.
Generally, the temple has 30-40,000 visitors a day, which swells to around three lakh (i.e. three hundred thousand) on amavasya
Amavasya
Amavasya is the Indian name for a New moon. The word Amavasya is common to many Indian languages especially Sanskrit, Hindi, Assamese, Kannada, Bengali, Konkani, Marathi, Oriya, Telugu, and Gujarati...
(the new moon day), believed to the most auspicious day to appease Lord Shani. The village holds a fair in honour of the deity on this day. A bigger festival is held on new moon days that fall on Saturdays. Devotees bathe Lord Shani's image with water and oil and offer flowers, and udid to him. A palanquin procession of Shani is held on the day of the fair. Other festivals include the birthday of Shani, Shani Jayanti.
Gulshan Kumar
Gulshan Kumar was the founder of the T-Series music label , the best known in India, and an Indian Bollywood movie producer. T series is now run by his son Bhushan Kumar...
.
Approach
Shani Shingnapur is about 35 kilometres (21.7 mi) from Ahmadnagar city. About 160 kilometres (99.4 mi) northeast of PunePune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
and 84 kilometres (52.2 mi) from Aurangabad. The nearest airport is at Aurangabad
Aurangabad Airport
Aurangabad Airport is a public airport located in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India.-Project history:...
which is 90 kilometres (55.9 mi) from Shani Shingnapur. Nearest railway station is Srirampur
Srirampur
For town in Hooghly district please see SeramporeSrirampur is a census town under Purbasthali police station of Kalna subdivision in Bardhaman in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Geography:Srirampur is located at...
. Distance from Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
is about 330 kilometres (205.1 mi) by road. It can also be accessed from Shirdi, another religious place in Maharashtra. It is about 65 km on road.