PLACES

SONAI OR SHINGAPUR

Formerly known as Shingnapur, Sonai is a village in Nevasa taluka. It covers an area of 31.8 square miles and has, as per the Census of 1971, a total population of 12,552 souls. Wells form the main source of water-supply to the village population. It has a post office. The educational facilities to the village population are provided by a high school known as Shri Shanishwar Vidya Mandir besides the primary schools conducted by the Zilla Parishad. The medical facilities are provided by the private medical practitioners. The village is famous for the fair held in honour of Shani on every Shani amavasya (no-moon day).

The temple of Shani is a small non-consequential structure with no cover. The image of Shani is about five and a half feet in height and is placed over a raised stone square. By the side of the idol is placed a trishul (a three-pointed pike or spear) and an idol of Nandi on the south. In front are the small idols of Mahadeva and Maruti.

The peculiarity of the village is that there are no doors to the houses. Only door-frames are seen. All the residents of the village never keep even their valuable possessions under lock and key. No theft ever takes place in the village. People believe that it is a jagrit devasthan and as such it punishes the persons who attempt theft and hence no thefts take place in the village. Even the shop-keepers keep their shops open and the agriculturists never keep a vigil over their crop when it is ready for harvest.

A fair is held in honour of the God Shani on every amavasya (no-moon day) but it is fairly big during the amavasya falling on Saturdays. About 15,000 people assemble at the time of the fair. At the time of the fair the visitors bathe God Shani with water and then present oil, flowers, udid, etc., to the God. The palanquin procession of the God is taken out on the day of the fair.

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