Shani Singanapur.

Sri Shaneswar

When thieves are using more and more sophisticated tools to break open houses and their mastery reaching new heights more than 6000 people live blissfully in their houses without even a door!

India, which supports a Rs.1500 crore market of locks and related accessories, selling a lock in the village of Shri Kshetra Shingnapur in Ahmed Nagar district of Maharastra is a day dream, admitted a police officer.

Temple Entrance

Shani Shingnapur is 400 km from Mumbai and 70 km from Shiridi, can be reached by road.There is not a single shop, which sells a lock.

Sri Shanidev Murthy

The village houses around 1700 homes and none of them has doors, said Shivaji Yeshwant Shete(40), Sarpanch of the Gram Panchyat, Shingnapur.

Though people are wealthy, they never care to put a door in their houses, Shete quipped.Lord Saturn (Shani) is the reigning deity and he takes care of the village, said he.The villagers have all faith on the Lord and according to them HE would never tolerate theft and the robbers would end up being caught.

Vasant Karat, 32 a house wife said no body dares to enter the house and the robbers get blind and insane after committing theft from the village."For generations together, the houses here do not have doors. We keep our belongings in the open.But never have we come across any incident of theft," says Shete.

Homashala

The strong faith is based on a number of stories.Sample this.The thieves attacked the house of Tukaram Pandurang Sable and tried to steal the money and valuables from the house, but could not find the same but it was there itself in a open earthen pot.

Even if the family members go for some work outside the village, they never bother to ask neighbors to keep vigil on their house."We never bother about thieves as nothing is going to happen," Santosh Kushalkar (35) of Shani Singnapur exudes with confidence.

The village has about 500 odd families consists of 90 per cent Hindu and rest are Muslims and Christians.Madina at 5 though belong to Muslim community also have also strong faith on The Lord Shani. She also visits Shani Maharaj in festivals. During the festivals at the Shani temple, lakhs of people from all religions participate amid enthusiasm and traditional fervor, the sarpanch says.