Shun Shani and tempt destiny

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Keywords: Shani, Hindu

New Delhi: Pluto is out of the solar system, but that has not stopped its neighbour in outer space, Saturn or Shani, from dominating Indian mind spaces.

Of the 33 crore deities in the Hindu pantheon, Shani is one God who is on the lips of every third person on the street.

Anupam and his friends, who are trying to break into Delhi's music scene, dedicate Saturdays to the dark and dangerous Lord Shani.

“My stars are not right. I pray to Shani out of fear,” Anupam said.

Black is the colour associated with Shani. Devotees wear black clothes, donate black pulses and perform a series of rituals to keep the short-tempered God happy.

“I am finding it tough to break into the music scene. I am insecure and I hope Shani helps me,” Anupam says.

Urban India quite clearly is going crazy about Shani, who is the son of Surya. This belief has transformed the Lord of the Rings, once a minor player in the Hindu pantheon into a master of the masses. And as the lines of devotees grow, so do the number of temples.

“Lord Shiva gave Shani a boon that he will be worshipped in Kalyug. That is why he has become popular,” says Promod Sharma, Head Priest, Shani Mandir.

But is the insecurity of the time we live in that’s giving the God, who rides a crow, such high ratings?

“The emergence of deities has a lot to do with the social milieu. People are finding ways to elevate themselves in these times of stress insecurity,” Prof KM Shrimali says.

But Shani's rise is everyday Hinduism in action, a religion changing and adapting with time.