Divine Nastanpur Shani Mandir, Shri Shketra Nastanpur, Nandgaon, Naasik

Among the seven and a half seats of Shani Maharaja across the country, Shri Kshetra Nastanpur is recognized as a self-manifested full seat. Nastanpur is also acknowledged as a full seat among the three and a half seats established by Shri Rama. It is said that this place in Nastanpur is thousands of years old. Notably, women are also permitted to enter this temple for darshan.

The legend of the temple states that in ancient times, this place was a dense forest. This entire region was famous as Dandakaranya. After the abduction of Sita in Panchavati, Lord Rama and Lakshmana reached the ashram of Sage Agastya near Manmad (at the present-day Ankai Fort). When Sage Agastya asked about Sita, Lord Rama narrated the entire incident. At that time, Sage Agastya advised, “You are under the influence of Sade Sati; to overcome it and to defeat Ravana, you must worship Lord Shanideva. For this, you must establish three and a half Shakti Peethas of Lord Shanideva.” As Lord Rama and Lakshmana departed from Sage Agastya’s ashram for their onward journey, they reached the then-Nashratpur, now known as Nastanpur, in the evening. Due to the dense forest ahead, they stopped there for the night. Shri Rama and Lakshmana used to perform the Trikala Sandhya. As the time for the evening Sandhya arrived, Shri Rama began his prayers. While offering Arghya to the Sun, the Sun god placed the idol of Shanideva, which is currently established at the Nastanpur Kshetra, into his hands. Shri Rama worshipped this idol and established the first Shani Peetha at this very place, performing the rituals accordingly. At this moment, all the gods showered flowers from the sky. After performing worship in the morning, Shri Rama continued his journey in search of Sita. According to Puranic and historical records, King Nala and Damayanti, Radha-Krishna, the Pandavas, Draupadi, King Vikram, Navnath, Dattaguru, Shankaracharya, Saint Dnyaneshwar, Saint Namdev, Saint Eknath, Saint Tukaram, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Saint Janardan Swami Maharaj, and others had visited this pilgrimage site for Darshan. According to information from the book ‘Shani-Maruti Upasana’ by the renowned astrologer Damodar Shastri Date, those suffering from Sade Sati can find relief from the distress of Sade Sati and the afflictions of Shani by performing worship and devotion at this awakened site of Shani in Nastanpur. When the royal astrologer Bhaskaracharya was under a delusion, his daughter brought him to this place, where he served Shani.Thereby, Shani Maharaj was pleased and healed Bhaskaracharya. The great treatise on astrology titled ‘Lilavati’ was also composed at this very place.

The former Shani Dev temple at Stanpur was simple, with a large corrugated metal hall in front. A new, modern temple has now been constructed there. The newly renovated Shani temple faces east, meaning it is Suryamukhi (sun-facing). In front of the Shani temple, there are small shrines dedicated to Lord Ganesha and Lord Hanuman. Upon entering the Shani temple, one finds a spacious hall. Beyond the hall, in the sanctum sanctorum, resides the sandy, jewel-studded idol of Shani Dev. It is said that this idol remains in the very place established by Shri Rama. When the idol is touched during morning worship, sand can be felt on the hands. This is the only Shani idol in the country that faces the rising sun, that is, the east. The idol is 35 inches tall and 28 inches wide. The idol is Chaturbhuj (four-armed), with three hands holding weapons and the fourth hand in a blessing posture. On the head of the idol is a crown of sun rays. Shani Maharaj is seated astride a cuckoo bird. In front of the idol are silver padukas (footprints), which are revered by the devotees. On Saturdays, days of Amavasya (new moon), and festival days, the idol of Shani Maharaj is adorned and decorated.

Shani Amavasya (the new moon day falling on a Saturday) is considered auspicious for worshipping Lord Shani at this temple. A grand procession of Lord Shani is taken out on this day. As thousands of devotees are present at this time, the premises take on the appearance of a fair. Apart from Shani Amavasya, worshipping Lord Shani on all Saturdays is considered favorable.

Following the renovation of the temple, facilities such as accommodation and a children’s park have been made available for devotees. This Shani temple is blessed with a vast premises. Due to the scenic environment here, a large number of tourists along with devotees visit the site. Every day, hundreds of devotees visit this Shani temple and offer prayers to alleviate the afflictions caused by Shani. Darshan of Shani Maharaja can be taken at this temple from 6 in the morning until 10 at night.

Sacred History & Spiritual Significance

This sacred temple stands as a testament to deep spiritual devotion, ancient architectural grandeur, and rich local cultural traditions.

Temple Sanctum & Architecture

The sanctum sanctorum houses the divine idol consecrated according to ancient Vedic traditions, surrounded by serene courtyards and traditional temple architecture.

Sacred Darshan Gallery