Shani Shingnapur
 |
| Shani Shingnapur |
The Shani Shingnapur is located in Shinganapur village in
Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra and this is the popular temple of Saturn and
the Hindu god of planet Saturn. Therefore, the name Shani Shinganapur Temple fell. In the
distance of 72 km from Shirdi and 44 km from Ahmednagar, Saturn Shinganapur or
Sonai is a village in Nevasa taluka in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. This
village is famous for the popular temple of Shani Mandir of Shanadeva Mahadeva,
which belongs to the planet, Shani. It is one of the most popular temples in
India and also famous pilgrimage places to visit near Pune.
The idol of Lord
Shanidev in Shingnapur temple is self-made and this temple is believed to be a
wake-up place, which means that there is still a deity in the temple. Lord
Shani Temple consists of two and a half feet tall black rocks, which have been
installed on an open-air- platform, which symbolizes Saturn. A trident is
placed beside the image and to the south side is a Nandi (bull) image. In front
are small images of Lord Shiva and Lord Hanuman. This temple has 30-45000 visitors a day and those who reach
around three lakhs (ie three hundred thousand) on the Amavasya (day of the new
moon), believe that the most auspicious day is to please Lord Shani. On this
day, the village holds a fair in honor of the deity. A big celebration is held
on the new moon days that fall on Saturday. The devotees bathed the image of
Saturn with water and oil and offered flowers to them. On the day of Jatra, a
palanquin procession is held on Saturday. Other celebrations incorporate the
birthday of Shani, Shani Jayanti. There are no doors in the entire village around the Shani
Shinganapur temple and Villagers believe that Shanadeva punishes anyone who
tries to steal.
According to folklore, about 150 years ago, a large black
slab floated on the water, which was noticed by local shepherds when they
drained the water. At the point when one of them touched it with a pointed
pole, blood started flowing from it. That night, Lord Shanesvara appeared in
the dream of a devout shepherd and told that he wished to stay in the same
village without roofing himself. In return, he promised that the village would
never be afraid of theft. No theft or robbery was reported till 2010 and again one theft was reported in 2011. And some who have tried to steal have died vomiting blood within minutes of their act and before they could cross the boundary. It is said that many suffer from various kinds of punishment, including chronic illness, mental imbalance and so on.
Temple Opening Time: 24 Hrs
Entry Fees: No Entry Fees
Duration: 4 Hrs
Comments