The village with no locks or doors

Learn and Talk III – Lesson 4

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Words

1. eschew /ɪsˈtʃuː/ [verb]to avoid something intentionally, or to give something up

2. slab /slæ b/ [noun]a thick, flat piece of a solid substance, such as stone, wood, metal, food, etc., that isusually square or rectangular

3. ooze /uːz/ [verb]to flow slowly out of something through a small opening, or to slowly produce athick sticky liquid

4. deity /ˈdeɪ.ɪ.ti/ [noun]a god or goddess

5. mishap /ˈmɪs.hæ p/ [noun]bad luck, or an unlucky event or accident

Expressions

undying faith

bless the leader

watch over

holy guardian

in respect of

Preview

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Imagine a village where homes have no front doors, shops

are always left unlocked and locals never feel unsafe. This

is the story of Shani Shingnapur in India’s Maharashtra

state, where villagers eschew security because of their

undying faith in Lord Shani, the god of Saturn, who is

considered the guardian of the village.

The village with no locks or doors

Article

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Legend has it that about 300 years ago, after a bout of rain andflooding, a heavy black slab of rock was found washed up onthe shores of the Panasnala River, which once flowed throughthe village. When locals touched the 1.5m boulder with a stick,blood started oozing out of it.

Later that night, Shani appeared in the dreams of the village head,revealing that the slab was his own idol. The deity ordered that theslab should be kept in the village, where he would reside from hereon. But Shani had one condition: the rock and its colossal powersmust not be sheltered as he needed to be able to oversee the villagewithout hindrance. Shani then blessed the leader and promised toprotect the village from danger.

After the villagers installed the huge slab on a roofless platformin the heart of town, they decided to discard all doors andlocks. They didn't need them anymore, not with the Lord towatch over them.

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This tradition has continued for generations. Locals occasionallylean wooden panels against their front door frames to keepstray dogs out – but they have no permanent doors, and leavetheir jewellery and money unsecured, firmly believing thattheir holy guardian will protect them from any mishap. Eventhe public toilets in the village square just have a thin curtain atthe entrance for privacy.

New constructions have to honour these protocols, too. Thepolice station – which only opened in September 2015 and hasnot yet received a single complaint from the villagers – has nofront door; while the United Commercial Bank opened India’sfirst “lockless” branch in Shani Shingnapur in 2011, installing aglass entrance in the spirit of transparency and a barely visibleremote-controlled electromagnetic lock in respect of thevillagers’ beliefs.

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Discussion

1. In your hometown, is there any deity that is special andunique? What are the influences on the tradition of yourhometown?

2. Spiritually what do modern people need?

3. In your opinion, will the tradition last long? Why?

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Further Reading

Full Text: https://www.myjoyonline.com/news/the-village-with-no-locks-or-doors/

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https://www.myjoyonline.com/news/the-village-with-no-locks-or-doors/

The village with no locks or doors

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