Hyderabad, July 13 -- An open-to -sky temple to Shani - Saturn - in a Maharashtra village is a huge attraction where about 4000 worshippers pour in every day to seek blessings against misfortune. It is a simple temple - a back rock of over a meter high on a rectangular platform with railings, and notably, no walls. People who pour in also put their offerings in the collection box.

The village which has this temple is Shani Shingnapur in Nevasa tehsil of Ahilyanagar, formerly Ahmednagar. It is close to Shirdi. It is an open village, both allegorically and literally. Anyone who strays to a household for a glass of water may be offered a cup of tea too. A tired pilgrim may even receive a meal. Its reputation has spread widely, and the resid...