Ahmednagar (Maharashtra): An ardent devotee of Lord Shani from Odisha donated a gold kalash worth Rs 1 crore to the Shree Shanidev temple in Shani Shingnapur. The devotee offered the kalash on the occasion of Shani Amavasya on Saturday. Lakhs of devotees thronged the temple on the day of Shani Amavasya.
The devotee offered the Kalash made with 700 grams of gold and five kilograms of silver on the auspicious day of Shani Amvasyaa. Amavasya falling on a Saturday is a big festival for the devotees of Lord Shani. The temple was crowded with devotees. The kalash was offered to the deity after performing the rituals on it.
The devotee requested the temple authorities not to reveal his identity. The devotee also got a chant engraved on the Kalash. The Kalash has the capacity to hold nine liters of oil in it and will be placed above the main idol of the deity in the temple. Bhagwat Bankar, President, Shani Shingnapur Devasthan said, "a devotee from Odisha has donated a kalash worth Rs 1 crore. The Kalash will be offered to the deity after the evening Aarti." Anand Bhalgat, director of Bhalgat Jewellers in Sonai, has made this Kalash.
The Shani Shingnapur Temple situated in Nevasa taluka in Ahmednagar district is a revered and holy shrine of worship for Hindus dedicated to Lord Shani. The presiding deity in the temple is Lord Shani. The main deity of the temple is Swayambhu who emerged from the earth in the form of a black stone.
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Shingnapur is also famous for the fact that no house in the village has doors, only door frames. Despite this, officially no theft was reported in the village. Even shops and trade houses and similar establishment fall in line and lack a door.
The temple is believed to be a jagrut devasthan meaning that a deity still resides in the temple. It is believed that shepherds of the then-local hamlet founded the Swayambhu Shanaishwara statue.
