Devotees are planning a massive agitation if the decision is not reversed


Unmesh Gujarathi
Sprouts News

Lord Shani’s famous Shri Shaneshwar Devasthan (Shani Shingnapur Temple), Shanishingnapur is located at Sonai Village in Nevasa taluka of Ahmednagar district. The shrine is visited by thousands of devotees not only from India but also from abroad every day.

The devotees offer a Tailabhishek ( a religious ritual of pouring oil on the Idol of Deity Shani ) of oil to ward off evil, to the idol of Lord Shani located on a platform. The Tailabhishek has great religious significance and is considered the ancient tradition of the Hindu religion.

The activities of the shrine are looked after by Shri Shaneshwar Devasthan Trust. Now the temple trust has taken an-anti devotee decision whereby they will be allowed to offer the Tailabhishek only after they pay Rs 500 and obtain a receipt. The devotees are unhappy and disturbed with this Trust’s anti-people decision.

This decision is expected to create a rich-poor divide. The trustees have no authority to obliterate the devotional relation between God and the devotees. This is an attempt to swindle the devotees by collecting money, Hindu Janjagruti Samiti alleged while speaking to Sprouts.

“The Trustees should maintain the sanctity of the shrine. They should not change the constitution and should not make the shrine a commercial center. The Trust should immediately roll back the decision to collect the charge for Tailabhishek. Otherwise, a strong agitation will be staged in front of the shrine”.

Sunil Ghanwat
Organiser for Maharashtra and Chhatisgad,

Hindu Janjagruti Samiti