Daulatabad Fort

After our breakfast we started for Shanisinghnapur. We reached their around 12 a.m. Shanisinghnapur is a place which is the holy seat of Lord Shani. Shani Singnapur is about 70 kms. from Shirdi. At this place the devotees themselves can perform pooja and abhishek on any day at Shari Shaneshvar tirtha. The most auspicious day is the new moon day which falls on saturday. On this day we can see lakhs of devotees from all over the country come here and pray Shani Dev and get the blessings of the God. Only boy can do the worship of lord Shani. That’s why only boys of our group went for the worship. The main thing is Tailabhishekam. Tailabhishekam (Tailam means oil in Sanskrit, Telugu and Malayalam). Nuvvula Nune (Nuvvulu means Sesame; Nune means oil in Telugu) and Ellenne (Ellu means sesame; enne means oil in Kannada) is poured with utmost devotion on the head in a manner such that the oil covers the entire idol while flowing down. The pooja done with this oil is believed to please Shaneeswara.  One unique quality about Shani Singnapur is that there are no doorframes or locks in any of the houses. It is said that it’s because of Lord Shani’s blessings that there is no fear of crime in the village.

After visiting Shanisinghnapur we set out for Daulatabad fort. While last evening weather was pleasant now it was very hot. Daulatabad Fort is situated on a hill just 16km from Aurangabad. The old name of the fort is ‘Devagiri’. The name ‘Daultabad fort’ was given by Muhammad Tughlaq who was the king of Delhi. Daulatabad passed through the hands of several dynasties in the Deccan. Less than 150 years after the Yadava dynasty, Daulatabad also became the capital of India for a short period during the reign of Sultan Muhammad-bin-Tughluq, who gave the city its present name. But very soon the charm of this ancient city faded. In published works, the Mughal structure near the citadel of the fort of Daulatabad is sometimes referred to as a baradari, “twelve-door,” referring to a square structure. The panoramic view from the hill was certainly a consideration for placing a building in this location, and is an indication that the structure would be a suitable site for recreation. There are spaces halls, places for private consultation, a central courtyard, and a Jharaka-i-Darshan (the window from which the emperor makes official appearances to the public). Therefore, this building should be classified as a palace. The fort itself lies in the body of an isolated hill, the steep hill-sides at the base falling so sharply to the moat that no hostile troops could scale the height. The moat is 40ft deep with mechanical drawbridges teemed with crocodiles. A 5-kilometer sturdy wall, artificial scarping and a complicated series of defenses made Daulatabad impregnable. The 30-meter high Chand Minar (Moon Tower) built much later with 3 circular galleries had a defensive and religious role in the fortress.
Now it is around 2.30 p.m and we were very hungry but could not get a suitable eatery so we had to wait untill we reached Ellora caves.

Shanisinghnapur

After our breakfast we started for Shanisinghnapur. We reached their around 12 a.m. Shanisinghnapur is a place which is the holy seat of Lord Shani. Shani Singnapur is about 70 kms. from Shirdi. At this place the devotees themselves can perform pooja and abhishek on any day at Shari Shaneshvar tirtha. The most auspicious day is the new moon day which falls on saturday. On this day we can see lakhs of devotees from all over the country come here and pray Shani Dev and get the blessings of the God. Only boy can do the worship of lord Shani. That’s why only boys of our group went for the worship. The main thing is Tailabhishekam.

 Tailabhishekam (Tailam means oil in Sanskrit, Telugu and Malayalam). Nuvvula Nune (Nuvvulu means Sesame; Nune means oil in Telugu) and Ellenne (Ellu means sesame; enne means oil in Kannada) is poured with utmost devotion on the head in a manner such that the oil covers the entire idol while flowing down. The pooja done with this oil is believed to please Shaneeswara.  One unique quality about Shani Singnapur is that there are no doorframes or locks in any of the houses. It is said that it’s because of Lord Shani’s blessings that there is no fear of crime in the village.

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