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Shani Shingnapur

Shingnapur village, Nevasa taluka, Ahilyanagar (Ahmednagar) district, Maharashtra

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Shani Shingnapur
Photo: 25 Cents FC, CC BY 4.0

About

Shani Shingnapur is a village in Ahilyanagar (Ahmednagar) district of Maharashtra, about 35 km from Ahilyanagar city, known across India for its shrine of Shani Dev. There is no grand temple building here. Shani Dev is worshipped as a black stone about five and a half feet tall, standing on an open platform under the sky, with no roof above it. A trident stands beside it, and small images of Shiv ji and Hanuman ji are in front. Devotees pour oil over the stone and pray. Villagers believe Shani Dev himself watches over the village, so by old custom many homes have door frames but no doors. Saturdays and Shani Amavasya are the busiest days.

The story

The story of this shrine has been passed down by word of mouth. Long ago, after a flood, a large black stone slab was found by the Panasnala stream that once flowed past the village. When shepherds touched it with a pointed stick, it is said to have bled, and the whole village gathered in wonder. That night Shani Dev appeared in a dream to a devoted villager (in some tellings, the village head) and said the stone was his own self-manifested form. When the man asked whether he should build a temple, Shani Dev replied that the whole sky was his roof, so the stone must stay in the open. He asked for daily puja and an oil abhishek every Saturday, and promised to watch over the village. A popular telling adds that he asked an uncle and his nephew (mama and bhanja) to set the stone up together. Since then the stone has stood on its open platform. Villagers say that if a branch of the nearby neem tree grows over it, the branch falls away by itself. Devotees call this a jagrut sthan, a place where the deity is awake and present, and that faith is why so many homes here still keep no doors.

Visiting

October to February is the most pleasant season; summers are hot and sunny. Saturdays, Shani Amavasya and Shani Jayanti bring very large crowds. Simple, modest clothes are best. Bathing places are kept within the temple premises for devotees who wish to bathe before offering oil. Many pilgrims visit Shirdi on the same trip, and the village of Sonai is close by.

Festivals

  • Every Saturday, and Shani Amavasya (a new moon falling on a Saturday)
  • Shani Jayanti (Jyeshtha Amavasya; Vaishakh Amavasya in Maharashtra's amant calendar)
  • Gudi Padwa yatra (Chaitra Shukla Pratipada)

Famous temples

Sources