(You’ll find links to all parts of this Maharashtra tour series at the end of this post.)
TUESDAY, MAY 13
Our next destination was Shirdi, a temple town about 100 km west of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly Aurangabad).
During our last visit to Shirdi several years ago, we had hoped to visit the Shani Shingnapur temple, around 70 km southeast of Shirdi. We couldn't make it then due to time constraints. This time, we were determined not to miss it.
Shani Shingnapur is a small village located about 80 km southwest of Sambhajinagar. We left our hotel at Chh Sambhajinagar in a cab around 8 am and reached the village by 10:30 am.
A village without locks
Shani Shingnapur is unlike any other village — none of the buildings here, including houses, shops, and even the local bank, have doors or locks!
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| A house without a door. Image credit: Swati Jain/BBC |
This practice is rooted in a centuries-old legend. Around 300 to 400 years ago, after a flood, shepherds discovered a large black stone by the riverside.
Since then, the belief has persisted that Lord Shani protects the village, and anyone attempting theft would face divine punishment. As a result, the villagers have chosen to live without locks.
Temple visit and rituals
Upon arriving at the temple, we were immediately approached by a man who informed us that belts and watches were not allowed inside, as their metal fasteners resemble locks. He then led us to a nearby stall offering various ritual items arranged on a plate.
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| The holy black stone, the idol of Lord Shani. Image credit: Swati Jain/BBC |
He explained the significance of each item before quoting the cost. At this temple, poojas and rituals are performed by the devotees themselves. Since many visitors may not be familiar with the procedures, a guide is typically assigned, and he expects a donation at the end.
Interestingly, we noticed that most people didn't have the plateful of items we were offered. Either they had brought their own pooja items, or they picked just a few from the stall. Later, we came to know that there is no need to buy all the items; one could pick and choose.
Historically, women were barred from entering the temple's inner sanctum. However, a landmark court ruling in 2016 overturned this restriction. Still, many women choose to stay outside the sanctum, respecting long-standing traditions.
Arrival in Shirdi
We completed the rituals and left for Shirdi around 11 am. We reached there by 12:30 pm and checked into a hotel.
Also known as Sainagar, Shirdi is a small pilgrimage town spread across 13 square kilometres and home to about 36,000 people (as per the 2011 Census).
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| Sai Baba. Image credit: Shree Saibaba Sansthan Trust |
He was first seen meditating under a neem tree and lived an ascetic life, initially sleeping in a temple and later in a mosque. His teachings emphasised Shraddha (faith) and Saburi (patience), advocating love, peace, forgiveness, and the belief that God is one and omnipresent.
Sai Baba passed away in 1918, and a temple was built at the site of his samadhi (final resting place). Today, tens of thousands of devotees visit the shrine daily, regardless of their religious background.
Peaceful darshan and departure
We were fortunate to visit the temple when the crowd was relatively thin. Our went to the temple at 1 pm was smooth, and we returned to our hotel by 3 pm to rest. Unlike at Shani Shingnapur, here, there wasn't anyone compelling us to buy anything.
After an early dinner at 8 pm, we headed to the railway station to catch our train to Thane, the final destination of our Maharashtra tour.
Sainagar Shirdi Railway Station
Despite being a small town, Shirdi is well connected with its own railway station (operational since 2009) and an airport (opened in 2017).
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| The Sainagar Shirdi Railway Station. |
The Sainagar Shirdi railway station is a bit removed from the main road. While the platform displays indicated train numbers and coach positions, we didn’t hear any announcements — perhaps because of the station’s limited traffic.
Trains connect Sainagar to several major cities. We boarded the 12132 Sainagar-Dadar Express, which operates on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
The train departed on time and was expected to reach Thane around 4 am.
(To be continued)
Maharashtra tour 2025 series
Day 1 - May 6 - Chugging along to Pune
Day 2 - May 7 - Pune - News, nuisance, and festivities
Day 3 - May 8 - Pune - A day of mixed emotions
Day 4 - May 9 - Pune - History, temple, and reminiscences
Day 5 - May 10 - Pune - Whirlwind tour and news flash
Day 6 - May 11 - Sambhaji Nagar - A special breakfast and a tryst with nature
Day 7 - May 12 - Sambhaji Nagar - Ellora Caves
Day 7 - May 12 - Sambhaji Nagar - Paithani saris, Bibi Ka Maqbara
Hari OM
ReplyDeleteAnd this amazing, packed tour continued! I am suspecting you returned home to rest! YAM xx
Hi Yamini - After a point, I couldn't blog while on the tour. So I saved all the notes to work on back home.
DeleteFascinating about the open doors and no locks. Hopefully they are able to keep the rest of the world out and continue in safety there.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, the police station hasn't reported any major crime in the village so far.
DeleteSuch interesting religious practices and interesting how some people seem to be up on what they can do and not do, while others have to go with what they're advised to do. It sounds like a great time away Pradeep, but I bet getting home again felt very sweet.
ReplyDeleteHi Leanne - Customs, traditions, and rituals vary a lot depending on which deity it is and sometimes which part of the country it is. One more day remains in the tour, that is the 14th. We returned home the next day. I will be posting my notes of that day in a few days.
DeleteWow! Just wow! This is all very fascinating. Be well and travel safe.
ReplyDeleteHi Darla - Thank you.
DeleteA useful narrative, giving an inspiration to the readers to visit the places.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rudraprayaga!
DeleteA Village in India without doors! That's amazing.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, Tomi ...
DeleteSuch trust and faith to have no doors or locks. Such a busy programme of travel, too.
ReplyDeleteThe whole world runs on trust to a good extent, is it not? Yes, it's been a bit hectic but not tiring.
DeleteThis is such a fascinating post, Pradeep. I love the idea of a village with no locks, although no doors might be a little chilly at times. The customs and faiths are very interesting too. Thank you for giving us an insight into a completely different aspect of life in your country.
ReplyDeleteIt's the power of faith and trust, I guess. If we think about it, the world, to a great extent, runs on trust, is it not? I also learnt that it's locks that are banned. So, some houses have movable doors that are left unlocked or even curtains for privacy.
DeleteAhhh. Shirdi. Brings me lot of pleasant memories of our previous visits.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's quite a nice place.
DeleteThanks, Pradeep Nair, for recapitulating my pleasant journey to Shriddi and Shani Shringarpur last year. We boarded Spice Jet from Bangalore on Saturday morning and returned late Sunday evening. Sai Darshan was comfortable with the smooth, peaceful, and pleasing queue. We could make the Shani Temple Darshan, thou the National highway road work hindered our journey at many places, breakdowns of heavy trucks and accidents. But it was a memorable trip. The black soil fields and fresh sugarcane juice drawn out by the bulls (instead of a motorised machine ) were tasty and a safe, healthy drink. Wish we could extend the trips to places you have mentioned. ( n_sakthidharan@yahoo.com).( sakthidharann.blogspot.com)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sakthidharan, for reading my blog post and for your comments. Nice to know that you too had a trip to the same place a year ago. You can plan a trip to other places.
DeleteShani Shingnapur - I think I read about it in some magazine.
ReplyDeleteInteresting
Quite a visualising explanation of ur trip details. Hope u r having a great time!
Looks like u r blogging regularly- keep it up
My best regards
Hi Afshan - Yes, the media had covered the temple a few years ago. Thank you for your comments. Yes, it was a good trip. I have been blogging not very regularly, but two to five posts a month.
DeleteHow incrediably interesting. Very photos really help me "see" things that would not have otherwise been able to image. thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHi Sandra - Yes, sometimes, faith and the fear of God can achieve things that are incredible!
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