The shrine shot to fame during the tech boom in the 1980s when news of a large group of computer professionals getting US visas after visiting the temple spread like wildfire. Thousands of hopefuls were soon queuing up to pay homage to the ‘Visa God’.
Devotees take 11 parikramas (circumambulations) of the shrine, which features an ornate, multihued gopuram (entrance tower). Mantras are chanted in English or Telugu, as instructed by priests. Many devotees also bring their passports to be blessed during the puja ceremony.
Those who receive their visas return to make 108 more circuits, the number for each round scribbled on paper followed by an offering (prasad) to the deity.
“Faith among devotees is very strong that the ‘Visa God’ will help fulfil their desires. The temple is currently closed due to Covid-19 but in normal times we receive around 75,000-100,000 pilgrims per week from all over the country. Most are between 25-35 years of age seeking jobs or admission to top US universities,” said a member of the temple trust.
Despite its popularity, however, the shrine’s location in a technologically advanced metropolis like Hyderabad does raise eyebrows. The IT hub houses the offices of leading multinational conglomerates and tech titans like Dell, Microsoft, Apple, Google, and Amazon. A 2014 Brookings Institution report revealed that Hyderabad sends more students to the United States than almost any other place in the world.
Venkat Munshi, from Kukatpally town near Hyderabad, said he visited Chilkur Balaji several times after hearing about it from his family.
“I sought a US visa in 2016 and was successful and travelled to the US to study. Now, every time I come to India, I visit the shrine. My friend wasn’t so lucky though. Despite three temple visits, his visa didn’t come through. The priests say it’s a matter of faith,” the 23-year-old said.
Apart from trust, trepidation is also driving many to these shrines.
“There’s currently tremendous uncertainty over issuing and renewal of visas to Indian students. So whenever I come to India I visit Shaheed Baba Nihal Singh Gurdwara,” said Ankit Panag, who is from Jalandhar city near Punjab and is now studying at the Washington University in St Louis.
The centuries-old shrine – popularly called ‘Hawaijahaj’ (aeroplane) gurdwara – is located near Jalandhar. Dozens of shops selling toy planes around it further reinforce the belief that a plane’s offering to the deity can help your ambitions take wing.
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Apart from prayer rituals, some visa temples – like the Khadia Hanuman Temple in Ahmedabad, Gujarat – also hold counselling sessions for students. The shrine is dedicated to the monkey-faced god Hanuman, also known as ‘Pawan putra’ (Son of Wind) in Hindu mythology.
Believed to possess extraordinary flying powers, Hanuman once took wing to Sri Lanka carrying a whole mountain of herbs from the Himalayas to help doctors find a cure for Lord Rama’s ailing brother Laxman. Needless to say, the legendary god needed no visa for this sojourn.
Hanuman is also the muse at New Delhi’s Visa Wale Bajrangbali Temple. On weekends, hundreds of visa-seekers head to the shrine with their horoscopes and passports.
“Just before the pandemic, there was a surge in visitors with horoscopes to consult us about their travel prospects due to stricter US visa regulations. We conducted special ‘visa pujas’ for some,” said priest Ram Teerath.
After a wish is written on paper, it is submitted to Lord Hanuman along with token money. Mantras are assigned to the pilgrims to be chanted daily to expedite visa procurement. Once the approval comes through, the devotees return with Hanuman’s favourite offerings of bananas and also write a ‘thank you’ note.
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About 1.1 million foreign students attended US higher education institutions in the 2018-19 school year, according to the US State Department and the Institute of International Education, contributing US$44.7 billion to the US economy during 2018. Indian students remit anywhere between US$10 to US$13 billion annually as tuition fees abroad.
As per a BBC report, after China, India sends more students abroad to study than any other country – more than one million Indians were pursuing higher education programmes overseas as of July 2019, according to India’s foreign ministry.
Despite this, the US administration under President Donald Trump has made obtaining visas tougher for overseas students. The introduction of the stringent H-IB and L-1 Visa Reform Act this May has further triggered anxiety among the visa-seeking Indian tech community as well as those whose visas are up for renewal. The bill seeks to enforce stricter requirements for the recruitment of foreign workers, while prioritising the absorption of US-educated foreign technology professionals, among others.This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Thousands hoping to work abroad make pilgrimages to ‘visa temples’
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