The houses in the village of Shani Shingnapur have no front doors, yet the residents have never feared theft, believing a deity protects them.
Shani Shingnapur, located in the state of Maharashtra, India, is a place where people place absolute faith in one another. Their houses have no front doors, and shops are always wide open, yet the local people have never felt insecure. They don’t need cameras or security measures because they believe Lord Shani, the deity of Saturn, is the protector of their village.
According to a legend from about 300 years ago, after a heavy rain and flood, a heavy black slab of stone washed up on the bank of the Panasnala River, which flows through the village. When local villagers touched the 1.5-meter-tall stone with a stick, blood began to ooze from it.
That night, Lord Shani appeared in the village headman’s dream, revealing that the stone slab was his idol. The deity commanded that the stone be kept in the village, where he would reside. However, Lord Shani gave a condition: the slab and its immense power should not be shielded, as he needed to observe the village unhindered. The deity then gave his blessing to the headman and pledged to guard the village against any harm.
After the villagers placed the large stone slab on a roofless platform in the center of the village, they decided to do away with all doors and locks. They no longer needed them, as they had Lord Shani as their protector.
This tradition has continued for generations. Local residents occasionally prop wooden panels against door frames to keep stray dogs out, but the houses never have permanent doors. Valuables like jewelry and money are also left in unlocked places, as they are certain the protective deity will shield them. Even the public restrooms in the village square have only a thin curtain covering the entrance to ensure privacy.
New structures must also abide by this rule. The police station, which opened in September 2015 and has never received a single complaint from villagers, also has no front door. The United Commercial Bank opened India’s first “lockless” branch in Shani Shingnapur in 2011, installing a glass entrance to demonstrate transparency and a subtle remote-controlled electromagnetic lock to respect the villagers’ beliefs.
Locals are very carefree, not even asking neighbors to watch their homes when they are away. They believe that a thief would be struck blind instantly and that anyone dishonest would suffer from 7.5 years of bad luck. According to local legend, when a resident installed wooden panels at his home’s entrance, he had a car accident the very next day.
Thanks to this unique history, Shani Shingnapur attracts devotees from all over India, with at least 40,000 visitors flocking daily to worship at the temple of Lord Shani.
Although Shani Shingnapur has officially been noted as being free of theft for centuries, a tourist in 2010 reported cash and valuables worth 35,000 rupees were stolen from their car. Another theft of gold jewelry worth 70,000 rupees was also reported in 2011.
However, these allegations were dismissed as locals assert they happened outside the village’s boundaries. Many skeptics attribute the low crime rate in the area to the village’s remote location, rather than the divine power of Lord Shani.
Times are changing, and some residents are challenging this long-standing custom by seeking permission from the gram-panchayat (local self-governance body) to install doors and locks to ensure their families’ safety. Most residents of Shani Shingnapur hope to see the tradition endure, confident in Lord Shani’s protection against malevolent forces for centuries to come.
(According to BBC)
