SHRI SHANI SHIGNAPUR
Shingnapur is a small village near Shirdi where the most prominent and conscious shrine of the Hindu god Shani, son of the Sun God, exists for nearly a century now. It is also one of the landmark tourist places near Shirdi. The story of Shingnapur’s Shani temple goes something like this: once the god Shani appeared in the dream of a noble dweller of Shingnapur and asked him to visit the nearby river, remove the stone slab lying by its shore, install it in a temple and worship it with due reverence. With many efforts, the holy stone slab was taken out of the river and installed in an open air temple in the village. The presence of Lord Shani is so much pervading in the village that no thief has escaped his wrath till date. Due to this, the villagers of Shingnapur never shut their homes with doors or even feel the need to put their precious belongings under lock and safe. Devotees visiting Shirdi also come to the shrine of Shani, the God of Justice to the mortals on earth, to appease him with their prayers and love offerings and ask him to forgive their sins and salvage their soul from his unsparing wrath.
