MANMAD
We reached Manmad Station just before noon and almost all of the passengers seemed to get-off the train with a remaining few, who traveled to Mumbai,its final destination. The scene exuded a sense of deja-vu as if I had earlier stepped on this very platform sometime in my past for all the religiosity associated with this station, it was unremarkable,quite bland except scores of devotees who peopled this small station , busting at its seams. Women outnumbered Men in 4:1 ratio but does that make them more religious?....well letz find out.
Through internet, I had arranged a pick-up at the station from Shirdi and the driver for the day, had been waiting for my arrival for over 4 hours. After loading all our stuff, we headed to Shirdi on an Indica,the staple choice for the discerning Indian traveler.
Manmad is approx. 62 KMS from Shirdi temple complex and takes an hour to cover the distance non-stop. The road is well paved with very little traffic with many a hillocks to keep company all through the way. As you travel , you notice a peculiarity prevalent in these parts, yes! you guessed it , the Anna Hazare Effect is in full display. Almost all men don an Anna Hazare cap.
After parking the vehicle, there are separate places for tourists arriving from different places, we were then asked to wash our feet which were kept parked in front of shops that populated the entire parking enclosure. There are different Puja Thalis , each priced differently and in addition to that one has to( almost obligatory) purchase a pouch of Mustad oil to be poured on the Omnipotent Lord Shani. We bought a complete Thali costing a good 400 bucks and two pouched of oil. A lad from the shop from where we made the purchase agreed to become our guide at no extra cost and began recounting the pros and cons of conducting the self-performed puja with various tips of depositing the various paraphernalia at the right places once inside the temple and what to bring back with oneself after performing the puja.
There is a law that all devotees need to observe of not turing back to look behind once you are inside the temple. People ascribe it of bring bad luck to those who don’t observe it. Photography is prohibited but who cares?. Even I got a shot of my mother with Lord Shani in the background.Everybody were busy clicking away to take away a piece of the God with them as memories.
We reached Manmad Station just before noon and almost all of the passengers seemed to get-off the train with a remaining few, who traveled to Mumbai,its final destination. The scene exuded a sense of deja-vu as if I had earlier stepped on this very platform sometime in my past for all the religiosity associated with this station, it was unremarkable,quite bland except scores of devotees who peopled this small station , busting at its seams. Women outnumbered Men in 4:1 ratio but does that make them more religious?....well letz find out.
Through internet, I had arranged a pick-up at the station from Shirdi and the driver for the day, had been waiting for my arrival for over 4 hours. After loading all our stuff, we headed to Shirdi on an Indica,the staple choice for the discerning Indian traveler.
Manmad is approx. 62 KMS from Shirdi temple complex and takes an hour to cover the distance non-stop. The road is well paved with very little traffic with many a hillocks to keep company all through the way. As you travel , you notice a peculiarity prevalent in these parts, yes! you guessed it , the Anna Hazare Effect is in full display. Almost all men don an Anna Hazare cap.
After having checked into Dwarvati-Bhakta Niwas
, we had a free meal at the Canteen inside the Niwas premises. The
food was good. The Bhakta Niwas Complex boasts of an Hospital, an
Apollo Dispensary, a Canteen, a beautiful garden and a multipurpose
shop.
Dwarvati is well manned and well
maintained by BVK’ staff all rounds the clock, keeping the facility
spic and span. The Niwas also has a discount counter within it, where
Tea , biscuits,
mineral water etc can be had in nominal heavily discounted
mineral water etc can be had in nominal heavily discounted
SHANI SINGHNAPUR
Our car was waiting and we started off
to visit the famed temple that lay 75Kms from Shirdi. The first 25
Kms was horrible due to very bad roads and heavy traffic but after
one has survived it , the next 50 Kms is smooth affair with well paved
roads. The road to the temple is to the left of the highway which
comes after having traveled 60 Kms from Shirdi.
We took the intended turn for the temple and lo…there were bullock s tied to long horizontal poles. It was intriguing at first to see so many of them in such hapless conditions. On my request my driver halted near such a bullock. It was pure ecstasy to witness the indegenus mechanism of crushing sugarcane trees to produce the Lassi. Hats off to Indian Jugaad technology and to you Sir!,my beloved Ox.
We took the intended turn for the temple and lo…there were bullock s tied to long horizontal poles. It was intriguing at first to see so many of them in such hapless conditions. On my request my driver halted near such a bullock. It was pure ecstasy to witness the indegenus mechanism of crushing sugarcane trees to produce the Lassi. Hats off to Indian Jugaad technology and to you Sir!,my beloved Ox.
Finally we saw a huge arched gate and a
boundary that encircled the village of Shinghnapur. There is a lore
that the houses in this village have no doors and no-body ever steals
anything from anybody. Well certainly it might be true had it not
been for a high boundary wall that encircles this little hamlet from all sides.
After parking the vehicle, there are separate places for tourists arriving from different places, we were then asked to wash our feet which were kept parked in front of shops that populated the entire parking enclosure. There are different Puja Thalis , each priced differently and in addition to that one has to( almost obligatory) purchase a pouch of Mustad oil to be poured on the Omnipotent Lord Shani. We bought a complete Thali costing a good 400 bucks and two pouched of oil. A lad from the shop from where we made the purchase agreed to become our guide at no extra cost and began recounting the pros and cons of conducting the self-performed puja with various tips of depositing the various paraphernalia at the right places once inside the temple and what to bring back with oneself after performing the puja.
My ears were hot of having to remember
and digest so much info in such a short span of time. My mind was in
a flux and was tired beyond comprehension and finally let it all
go and let my automatic instinct took over.
The entrance was guarded and devotees
proceeded in a Un-barricaded Queue (a rare sight in India) into the
temple premises.
Inside, there were hung signs asking the devotee to deposit the puja items that one might be carrying in one Thali. We proceeded,after depositing the last of items, inside the temple wherein stood Lord Shani enshrined into a huge block of stone, barricaded from all sides, with a hanging bowl suspended over it from which dripped mustard oil onto Lord Shani.
Inside, there were hung signs asking the devotee to deposit the puja items that one might be carrying in one Thali. We proceeded,after depositing the last of items, inside the temple wherein stood Lord Shani enshrined into a huge block of stone, barricaded from all sides, with a hanging bowl suspended over it from which dripped mustard oil onto Lord Shani.
There is a law that all devotees need to observe of not turing back to look behind once you are inside the temple. People ascribe it of bring bad luck to those who don’t observe it. Photography is prohibited but who cares?. Even I got a shot of my mother with Lord Shani in the background.Everybody were busy clicking away to take away a piece of the God with them as memories.
On our return back, we were treated to
a lovely sunset with darker hues with traces of gold still left in
it.
The sojourn could be summed up as an experience worth the pain. Anyone from a metro would find the whole trip relaxing and a bit soothing to one's frayed nerves. If time permits do chalk out a plan to visit this place , an old rural charm of India can still be experienced.
Au Revoir!
Au Revoir!
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