Shani Shingnapur – the village with no doors on houses
PDF Shani Shingnapur, also known as Sonai, is a village in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Situated in Nevasa taluka in Ahmadnagar district, the village is known for its popular temple of Shani, the Hindu god of the planet (graha) Saturn.
Shani Shingnapur Temple
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.
Shrine of Shani
The shrine for Shani compromises of a five and a half feet high black rock installed on an open-air platform, which symbolizes the god Shani. A Trishula (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.
Shrine
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 fair 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.
Devotees generally wear a saffron-coloured attire and have a head bath in the holy water close to the temple before entering it. There is no priest to perform the pooja. The pooja is carried out in the form of offering Pradakshinams – of going around the idol a couple of times, chanting specific prayers such as Shani gayathri and slokas. Devotees also perform Abhishekam with water and gingelly oil.
Some facts about Shani Shingnapur
1. The idol is out in the open, as the Lord made it clear in various ways to his devotees, that He did not want to be covered.
2. The temple is open for everyone twenty-four hours. Even at night, men (women are not allowed near the deity) can bring the puja material and perform all prayers by themselves.
3. No house / shop in the village has doors. It’s believed that the deity protects them and if someone tries to steal or do something wrong, they would be paralysed.
Getting There
Road
Shani Shingnapur is 350km from Mumbai and to reach there it’s best to hire a taxi from Mumbai. Long-distace cabbies from Mumbai take about 7 hours to reach Shani Shingnapur. Although there are MSTC (Maharashtra State Transport Corp) buses from Mumbai to Shirdi (60 km from Shani Shingnapur) and privatly-operated buses as well, locals advise not to attempt the bumpy, shaky ride on the MSTC buses, nor the long, frequent-stopping private buses.
Air
The nearest airport is Aurangabad (144 Km) which is connected by Indian Airlines and private airlines with other cities/towns.
Rail
Trains from Mumbai leave for Nasik (123Km) and Manmad (60Km).
Accommodation
The village, being a very small one, does not offer any accommodation for the devotees, though there is a Dharmastala nearby where the devotees are fed. Since the village is about 60 km. from Shirdi, it is advisable to stay at Shirdi and visit this unique temple.
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had been to shanishinganapur to seek blessings, was a great experience to embrace the swayambu of lord saturn,also i was fully soaked in the seasame oil
this is a very usefull site to me
i would love to go here thank u for such a useful site
Visiting this holy place a great experience to me.
Dear sir,
if anybody is going for first time to this place then beware the taxis /shared autos stops in front of known shops .the people will come n give a cloth to u & say that whatever u like u can pay them…& later on once u change your clothes they will ask for heavy amount for pooja thali.if u dont purchase from them they will send some local boy with u n no shopkeeper will give u pooja clothes …i read the story of somebody on net so i was very well prepared n ask about the price first they told me a thali is of Rs 150..I send my wife to unknown shop n she got a prayer thali for Rs 50 while the other shopkeepers do tell me that they have a union n i can’t purchase thali from anywhere else as the boy after me keep on telling me that i m from this shop n don’t give me pooja thali in marathi.Others in jeep has to pay Rs 170 for which the same shopkeeper has asked for Rs 70.So beware …when v r in unkown place with wife n kids u can’t fight local union …they the shopkeepers in shanishingnapur r cheats …so negotiate n then purchase n try to disperse if u r in group.
ya the same problem happened with me the shopkeepers are very rude to us if we ignore to buy their highly cost prayer thali once we ignore then they ask us to returned thier orange clothes to them,as everybody knows in shani singnapur we need to wear orange clothes after that we can touch to the statue of lord shani dev so my advice to every devotee is that to carry your own orange clothes so that u can take your own managed prayer thali.
thanx sachin for such a valuable suggesstions …i am planning with my family to visit there
Thanks for this useful info. i am planning to visit this place next week & now will aware from such kind of cheaters there.
Thanks again
very usefull information.
Yes, This Shani Signapore is very nice place…
when I see this news in T.V i was happy about that village and be an INDIAN..
Yes, That is real from past 200(or more) years on-wards and continue till going the great culture in MH, INDIA
I want to see this wonderful place.
Shani Shingnapur is a very powerful place. Friends,it’s my own experience.Make at least one visit to the place in your life and take darshan of Shani Dev. I am sure that will change your entire life.Leave your ego outside the border of Shani Shingnapr,bow down before Shani Dev and pray him.Shani Maharaj shall always be with you throughout your life, in your difficult times.
I am planning to visit this place in the next month with my family then tell me about the details and information about the route and also about the cheaters.
Abhijit,
All the information you asked for are on this post.
Jay Shani Dev !
I read all the comments above. Thanks the visitors for their valuable comments Actually I have also visited the holy place with my family. The financial punishment are varies on persons. At every tirtha sthala’s such type of cheating happens. Pl. remove it from your mind and think that you have cheated some one knowing or unknowingly, which is happening with you here.
Lord Shani is Great. He will heard your prayer, if visited once. May Lord Shani bless you all.
Jay Shanidev.
it is a wonderful place, so many happens in my life, always god saved me. everyone should visit& praised this god.
i visit shani dham on 31/8/11 to 4/9/11,as per views of some visitors who visit there an early time,i want to tell you that now there is some changes ,now no one take bath in holy water no need to take orange cloth no need to pay oil on shani ji,simply go do the namaskar & return back male female kids can go till shani ji statue,but be care full with taxi drivers,shopkeepers they will harras you also scared you to buy items from them do not buy any thing stritcly banned all those items in mandir,one thing also note that if you want to go shani dham from shirdi must take bus donot use taxi you will be safe9213382135
if you are going shirdi must book room from sai sansthan website that are very cheap try dwaravati dharamshala there are 400 rooms a/c non a/c available,for eating purpose use sai rasoi 10/&40/ pp unlimted,but be care full from market if youwish to buy limca half ltr mrp is 25/- they will sell you on 35/ or 45/,if you ask them why you are charging so high then they reply you in abuseing words there is no one hear you
if you take lunch in market chapati like papad will cost you rs. 10 each. any thing you buy from market charges are triple so visit sai rasoi for dinner stay with dwarawati tea is cost rs. 1 milk cost rs. 1.5use govr. buses for shani dham they are cheap but not cheat
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I visited shani singhanapur on 2nd oct 2011.The shopkeepers r really a kind of looters.I am lead to the nearby shop and said that i need to take puja thali which cost rs 160.We were four from our family and said that each of us have to take each thali of cost rs 160 each and hence forcing us to pay rs 640 for 4 puja thali.I objected it and somehow manage to leave the place buying 1 thali.He warn us that since we have not bought 4 thali so there will be some kind of danger from god Shani.
This incidence really discourage us very much.The shop is just adjacent to the washing shower area.(corner of car parking area)
Keshab Upadhyay
Pokhara,Nepal.
I have read a lot of comments which tell that the Shopkeepers are cheats and charge exhorbitantly for pooja thalis. However,somebody who is a regular to this place or who has observed them all can mention on this post what all pooja items comprises of the thali. This will enable people to carry their own stuff from wherever they are visiting. A mention about all that is required without approaching any shopkeepers would be perfect ( Including the orange dress – what attire for men and what for women)
I was just reading about peoples experence in shani singnapur.I also had to go through the same problem.
But one think we have to keep in mind is that whoever cheats us he will be punished by shani dev.
when we are in shani signapur we are in shani dev custody we should forget how the vendors have behaved and cheated us he will repay it in some way or the other just because of some greedy vendors we should not be dishearted and happly go and take shani dev darsan.
if you have faith you can do anything.we should believe and faith on shanidevta. jay shanidev