In News:

Two employees of the Shani Shingnapur Temple Trust were recently arrested for allegedly diverting funds by manipulating online applications used for booking pooja services, bringing the temple into the news.

Location

• Situated in Shingnapur village, Ahilyanagar (formerly Ahmednagar) district, Maharashtra
• The village itself is culturally famous for its doorless houses

Deity and Religious Significance

• Dedicated to Lord Shanidev (Shani), the Hindu deity associated with the planet Saturn
• The idol is a five-and-a-half-foot-high black stone slab
• Believed to be Swayambhu (self-manifested), not sculpted by humans
• Devotees worship Shani for relief from malefic planetary effects and life hardships

Unique Traditions of Shingnapur Village

• The village is widely known for houses without doors or locks
• The belief is that Lord Shani protects the village, and theft does not occur due to divine fear
• This tradition has made Shingnapur a symbol of faith-based social trust

Temple Architecture and Features

The Shani Shingnapur Temple is architecturally distinct:

• The idol is placed in the open, under the sky
• There is no enclosed sanctum (garbhagriha) with roof or walls over the main deity
• Devotees traditionally offer mustard oil to Lord Shani, poured over the idol from a suspended copper vessel

Other features within the temple complex include:

• A Trishul (trident) near the idol
• A Nandi statue located to the south of the idol
• Small images of Lord Shiva and Hanuman in front of the Shani idol
• A later-built east-facing multi-deity temple situated west of the Shani stone
• A samadhi (tomb) of Saint Udasi Baba
• A temple dedicated to Lord Dattatreya

Cultural and Pilgrimage Importance

• One of the most important Shani temples in India
• Attracts thousands of devotees, especially on Shani Amavasya and Saturdays
• Reflects a blend of folk belief, astrology, and devotional Hindu practices

Significance

• Represents a unique open-sky form of deity worship
• Illustrates strong links between faith and social customs (doorless homes tradition)
• An important religious and cultural landmark in Maharashtra