This Village in Maharashtra Does Not Have Doors or Locks!
The village of Shani Shingnapur in Maharashtra does not have doors or locks! To know more check out our latest video!
Shani Shingnapur is a small town in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, a two-hour drive from Shirdi. It is the place where there is a famous temple dedicated to God Shani's 5 feet tall idol that is said to protect the entire village. Lord Shani, is the god of Saturn. There is a very interesting fact about the village.There are no doors and no locks. Anyone can walk into your home or shop in Shani Shingnapur. But no one will steal. Do you know why?
Legend has it that nearly 400 years ago, a black stone landed on the banks of the Panasnala River. When a local shepherd prodded the slab with a sharp rod, ‘blood' started oozing from it. Later that night, Lord Shani appeared in the dreams of the shepherd, and said the stone was his idol. The shepherd asked the Lord if he could dedicate a temple to him, but he refused. He wanted to be placed in the heart of the village without shelter, so he could look over without any hindrances. He promised the shepherd that he will protect the village from any dangers and mishaps. Since this day, the village has placed all their faith in the god, getting rid of locks or doors. People leave their homes for hours or even days without feeling the need to close it. No one will dare steal, they believe, because they will be punished with a mental illness, blindness or bad luck for seven years. Locals often place wood panels to keep dogs and stray dogs out. But there are no doors. Local lore says that a man who built a door outside his home had an accident the next day. Even post offices and police stations do not have doors here. The United Commercial Bank opened its first "lockless" branch in Shani Shingnapur. It has a glass entrance and a remote-controlled electromagnetic lock that is barely visible to respect the sentiments of the villagers. However, many villagers now strongly feel that it is time to get rid of the superstition. Until 2010, Shingnapur had not reported any cases of theft. However the next year, gold ornaments worth Rs 70,000 went missing from the home of a temple trustee. The no-door policy has become such an important tourist attraction that many cases even go unreported.
