(Credit: Swati Jain)

In Maharashtra, India, there’s a small village called Shani Shingnapur. What makes this village famous around the world is a very old tradition: none of the houses or buildings have doors or locks. It’s true for everything, even shops, schools, and banks.

This unique lifestyle comes from the villagers’ strong belief in Lord Shani, a Hindu god connected to the planet Saturn who is known for bringing justice.

The local story goes that about 300 years ago, a large black stone was found floating in a nearby river. When the villagers tried to touch the stone, it strangely started to bleed. That same night, one of the villagers had a dream. In the dream, Lord Shani said that the stone was his own form that appeared by itself. He asked for the stone to be kept out in the open, with no roof over it, so he could always watch over the village.

Ever since that day, the villagers have worshipped the black stone as Lord Shani. They believe he protects them and punishes anyone who does something wrong almost immediately.

Because of this deep faith, people build their homes without doors and don’t bother with locks or even latches. They often leave their houses open, feeling completely safe because they believe no one would dare to steal or cause harm. This isn’t just about trusting each other; it’s about trusting that Lord Shani will deliver justice. For many, many years, there was almost no crime in the village. If a rare theft did happen, people would tell stories of how the thief was punished by Lord Shani, maybe by getting sick or facing other terrible luck.

In 2011, this faith was shown to the modern world when UCO Bank opened a branch in the village with no doors. It was the first bank of its kind in India. To follow the rules, the bank put up a glass partition, but it didn’t have any traditional locks or a heavy vault, staying true to the village’s custom. This got a lot of attention across the country.

However, in recent years, a couple of small incidents have tested this belief. A few minor thefts were reported in 2010 and 2011, which made some people wonder if this old tradition could survive in today’s world. But even with these events, the villagers’ faith remains strong. They see these thefts as very rare exceptions that don’t change the special, holy feeling of their home.

More recently, in July 2025, the village was in the news again because of a small issue with dishonest hiring practices at the temple. This wasn’t about theft, but it showed that even a deeply spiritual place like Shani Shingnapur isn’t completely safe from modern problems.