The legend of Shanidev,Lord Shaneshwara in Shinganapur

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The legend of Shanidev

 

Suryadev(son of Brahma) and Sandna (the daugther of Daksha Prajapati) were Shri

Shaneshwar's parents.

Sandna and Suryadev had two sons Dakshinadhipati Yama and Shri Shaneshwar and

four daughters Tapti, Bhadra, Kalindi and Savitri.

Sandna finding it unbearable to live with the harsh glare of Surya's light,

created her own replica and named her as Sanvarna and asked her to behave as

Surya's wife and perform all the duties and savour the privileges of a wife.

She made her promise that under no condition would she reveal to Suryadev that

she was not Sandna and promised to help her when needed.

Sandna went back to her father Daksha. When Daksha saw that his daughter coming

back, he advised her that she better live with her husband only. The dejected

Sandna did not follow her father's advise and instead transformed herself into

a mare and resided in the Himalayas and started penance.

Savarna performed the role of dutiful wife. She also gave birth to five sons and

two daughters from Surya. Surya did not have any doubts about Sanvarna.

One day Shanidev was very hungry and he asked his mother to give him something

to eat. She asked him to wait till she had made her first offering to God. But

Shanidev insisted on serving him first and in anger kicked his mother Sanvarna.

She in return cursed him that his leg would break.

Shanidev reported the matter to his father Surya. Surya said," a mother would

never curse a son like this." Surya observed Sanvarna closely and found that

she was not Sandna. Surya was enraged and asked her who she was. Sanvarna

confessed that she was a 'shadow' of Sandna. and that Sandna had gone to the

Himalaya for penance.

Surya told Shanidev that Sanvarna was like his mother and her curse would not go

in vain. It is therefore that Shanidev has one lame leg.

Lord Shaneshwara in Shinganapur

 

Unlike other places of worship, at the shrine in Shinganapur there are no long

queues and no waiting period. Devotees need not even wait for a priest. If

needed priests are there on Saturdays and Mondays to offer puja and abhishek.

To worship the Lord Shaneshwara in Shinganapur, a devotee has to take a head

bath and proceed in wet clothes to the platform where the swayambhu idol of

Shani Maharaj exists. The devotee then circumambulates, offers prayers and

performs Abhishek-s with water from the holy well in the vicinity and sesame

oil. Sacrificial offerings are not permitted here. Any male devotee can go up

to the platform wearing a wet cloth but women are enjoined to offer worship

without mounting the platform

There is another well from which water is fetched only for Shani Maharaj's

rituals. Women are forbidden to use this well.

Devotees are expected to follow some rules also known as Sanket.

Adequate facilities are available for Shuchirbhuta ritual (bathing and cleansing of the devotees).

The devotee has to be bare headed (without any cap or cloth on the head)while

receiving Darshan of the deity.

Devotees pour water on the idol with wet clothes and perform Abhishek. Brahmins

are available for Abhishek on Saturday and Monday.

To perform the abhishek a devotee offers Oil, preferably sesame is offered in

multiples of quarter, Coconut, dried dates, dried cocount, betel nut, rice,

turmeric-kumkum, gulal, neel, sugar, colotropis flowers preferably blue,

pedha-s, black cloth, curds and milk etc. used.

A devotee who wishes to avert the misery offers kavadi, bibba, udid, nail, or pin, or rice.

If it is a Abhishek of the Navas (after fulfillment of desires), then money in

the form of silver coins,a trident- trishul), shriphal, or iron articles like

ghamela or animals like horse, cow, buffalo are offered.

Regards

Prasanna kumar