Men at work and prayer

Neha Bajaj recounts her visit to Shani Shingnapur, the town that wears its faith with pride

Men at work and prayer

The lord of the rings: This is said to be the only swayambhu
(self manifested) idol of Shani in the world

Almost 70 km from Shirdi is a place that has consistently defied all modern day theories of India and its notoriously growing crime rate. Thanks to Shani, the super mighty personification of the planet Saturn, crime in this small town is unheard of. For all those preaching faith and those pursuing it, nothing can be a better example than Shani Shingnapur where houses have no doors and belongings have never been kept under lock and key.

Shani Shingnapur welcomes you with warmth and wears its faith with pride. Every car that screeches to a stop is swarmed by boys of all ages who offer to help you navigate the temple rituals. This isn't done without a fee. The faith in Shani is what they make their living from. Once you've taken your pick of the helping boy, he takes you to his setting wali dukaan to buy all the paraphernalia required for the rituals.

Since women are not allowed into the temple, I stepped back and soaked in the atmosphere. Canny shopkeepers sell pre-packed pooja thalis with the mandatory offerings of oil, flowers etc. Business is brisk.u00a0

The devotees are herded through the rituals. The men need to take off their shirts and trousers, wash themselves and wear an orange lungi before being escorted to the temple.

I choke back guffaws as metrosexuals like my friend hesitate to strip, casting furtive glances. Encouraged by the fact that every other man in the vicinity is doing the same, they drop their clothes and their timid air and stride into the temple, wearing a macho air!

The stride suddenly turns into a gingerly walk as they encounter splotches of oil on the ground beneath their feet. While women move away, in neat files, from the huge black stone idol, the men form a line to go towards it.

Once the rituals are over, my friend, like many other men, makes a dash to his car to quit his state of near-nakedness! And then, he musters the confidence to look around the few souvenir shops.

My experience at Shani Shingnapur left me feeling that I had a brief glimpse of Ram Rajya but for the gender divide. However, I cannot deny the fact that I was vastly entertained by the plight of all those suave and savvy men, who traded their Levis for lungis. Way to go, guys!

You will not find any doors in Shani Shingnapur because people feel that Shani is all the protection they need. In fact, even a rural branch of the State Bank of India has no doors!

The temple has no roof because whenever somebody has tried to build a roof, Shani has appeared in his dream and told him not to build one

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