The popular temple of Shani, the Hindu god of the planet (graha) Saturn is situated in Shingnapur village of Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra.Hence got its name Shani Shingnapur Temple. The place is visited by devotees coming in to pay respect to the Mighty Lord Shanidev.
Shani Shingnapur is a village in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Situated in Nevasa taluka in Ahmednagar district, the village is known for its popular temple of Shani, the Hindu god associated with the planet Saturn. Shingnapur is 35 km from Ahmednagar city.
Shani Shingnapur Devasthan is believed to be a "jagrut devasthan"
The significance of the Shani Shingnapur Temple is that the shrine for Shani Dev consists of a five and a half feet high black rock installed on an open-air platform, which symbolizes the godi. Unlike other pilgrimage centers, devotees here can perform pooja or abhishekam or other religious rituals themselves.
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.
In the times of Acharya Udasi Baba, there would be only three people visiting the shrine. Namely, Dagdu Changediya, Hastimal Chnagediya and the mother of Badri Tokse. They too used to come only on Saturday. Now, daily there are over 13, 000 visitors.
5 AM to 10 PM
The story of the swayambhu statue handed down from generations through word of mouth, goes something like this: When the Shepherd touched the stone with a pointed rod, the stone started bleeding. The shepherds were astounded. Soon the whole village gathered around to watch the miracle. On that night Lord Shanaishwara appeared in the dream of the most devoted and pious of the shepherds.
He told the shepherd that he is “Shanaishwara”. He also told that the unique looking black stone is his swayambhu form. The shepherd prayed and asked the lord whether he should construct a temple for him. To this, Lord Shani Mahatma said there is no need for a roof as the whole sky is his roof and he preferred to be under open sky. He asked the shephered to do daily pooja and ‘Tailabhisheka’ every Saturday without fail. He also promised the whole hamlet will have no fear of dacoits or burglars or thieves.
By Road
Shani Shingnapur is about 35 kilometres (22 mi) from Ahmadnagar city, About 160 kilometres (99 mi) northeast of Pune and 84 kilometres (52 mi) from Aurangabad.
By Air
The nearest airport is at Aurangabad which is 90 km from Shani Shingnapur. The other closes by airports are Mumbai (330 km) and Pune (160 km).
By Train
The nearest railway stations to reach Shani Shingnapur Temple are Ahmednagar, Rahuri, Shrirampur and Belapur.
Some places where one can stay near Shani Shingnapur Temple are:
Shri Shanaischara Jayanti: This day marks the birth of Lord Shani. From ‘Chaitra Shuddha Dashami’ to ‘Chaitrya Vadya Pratipada’, continuously, the priests chant God’s name and perform the ‘Granthraj Dnyaneshwari Parayan’.
Aashadi Ekadashi: From 1991, on Aashadi Ekadashi of every year, from Shanishingnapur to Pandarpur, Shaneshwar Palki is taken on foot with great fanfare. In this, all the trustees and devotees participate.
Ekanaathi Shashti: Similarly, from 1991, during Ekanaathi Shashti of every year, all the trustees and devotees participate in taking Shaneshwar Palki on foot, with great fanfare, from Shanishingnapur to Paithan.
In Shingnapur no house has a door frame or a lock to safe guard, no shop has any door or lock in cash box. . It is believed that Lord Shani Dev keeps their belongings safe and secure. To protect the house and shops from dogs and stray animals, the people just put up the curtains or a bamboo partition.
This is very Useful for a family trip
Anyone can walk into your home or shop in Shani Shingnapur; there are no doors and no locks. But no one will steal. If someone does, they will suffer from ‘sade-sati’, a period of seven years of bad luck. Lord Shani, the god of Saturn, is protecting the village. Such is the faith of the people who live in this small town in Ahmednagar (a two-hour drive from Shirdi) district of Maharashtra.
