Nobody locks their cars and motorbikes anymore.
A home in Shani Shinganapur, India, where nearly all residences have no doors.
When locals touched the stone, the story goes, that blood started oozing out of it.
But they should keep the slab in the open so that he could oversee the village.
They also decided to do away with all doors and locks on their houses.
With the Lord watching over them, they didnt need doors anymore.
The tradition has continued since then.
Over the years, the lore has grown.
Apparently, they were walking in circles.
The slab of stone, now a shrine.
But according to some residents, the villages crime-free image is just a ploy to bring more tourist.
As one probes deeper, more instances of crime begin to emerge.
Pickpocketing is also rampant around the temple area but they are seldom reported.
The first public incident to rock the villages reputation occurred in 2010 when cash and items worth Rs.
35,000 were stolen from a vehicle.
Another doorless house in Shani Shingnapur.
Photo credit: Punit Paranjpe/ AFP / Getty Images
Shani Shingnapur is now changing.
Even the temple keeps security guards in the premise along with baggage checks and security cameras.
Their donation box is kept locked.
The police station and the increased security is for crowd management, not crime patrol, they say.
Photo credit:www.surfolks.com
Sources:BBC/LA Times/Open
