Shani Shingnapur or Shani Shinganapur or 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 (graha) Saturn. The village is 35 kilometres from the city of Ahmednagar. It is undoubtedly the most revered and popular Shani temple in India.
There is no idol here. The shrine for Shani consists of a five and a half foot high black rock installed on an open-air platform, which symbolizes the god Shani. A Trishula (trident) is placed along the side of the statue and a Nandi (bull) image is on the south side. In front are the small images of Shiva and Hanuman.
People of all religions visit and pray here.
Shingnapur is also famous for the fact that no house in the village has doors, only door frames. Despite this, officially no theft has been reported in the village. 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 bank has doors, but they will always remain open. It is undoubtedly the only such bank in the world.
The temple is believed to be a “jagrut devasthan” (“alive temple”), meaning that a deity still resides in the temple. Villagers believe that god Shani punishes anyone attempting thievery. The deity here is “Swayambhu” (Sanskrit: self-evolved deity) that is self emerged from earth in form of black, imposing stone. Though no one knows the exact period, it is believed that the Swayambhu Shanaishwara statue was found by shepherds of the then local hamlet. It is believed to be in existence at least since the start of Kali Yuga.
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 village is wells.
The story of the swayambhu statue handed down from generations through word of mouth, goes something like this: When the shepherds touched the big black 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 Shaneeshwara appeared in the dream of the most devoted and pious of the shepherds.
He told the devout shepherd that He is “Shaneeshwara”, and the unique black stone is His swayambhu form. The shepherd prayed, asking the Lord whether he should construct a temple for Him. To this, Lord Shani said there is no need for a roof as the whole sky is His roof and He prefers to be under open sky. He asked the shepherd to do daily pooja and ‘tēla (“oil”) abhisheka’ every Saturday. He also promised the whole hamlet will have no fear of dacoits or burglars or thieves.
So, Lord Shanaishwara can be seen even today, in the open yard without any roof. To this day, there are no doors for any houses, shops, temples. Due to the fear of Lord Shani, none of the structures, be it dwelling houses, huts, shops, etc. situated within one kilometer radius of this Lord Shani temple have doors or locks.
How to Reach Shani Shingnapur
The nearest airport is Aurangabad Airport, located about 90 kilometers away. From there, taxis and buses are readily available to take you directly to the temple.
The closest railway station is Rahuri (32 km away), but larger and more connected stations like Ahmednagar (35 km) and Shrirampur (54 km) provide frequent train services to major cities.
The temple is well-connected by highways, making it a smooth drive from cities like Shirdi (70 km), Ahmednagar (35 km), Pune (160 km), and Mumbai (300 km). State-run MSRTC buses and private taxis operate frequently, making road travel a popular choice for visitors.
