Indian IT Engineers Visit “Visa Temple” To Pray For A US Visa

On any given day, hundreds of employees working in the technology sector flock to the Chilkur Balaji Temple in Hyderabad, one of India’s largest IT centers, to worship “God of Visa.”

What they wish for is the US government’s H-1B visa that can only be issued to 30% of applicants each year.

Chilkur Balaji is an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Balaji – the incarnation of God Vishnu in Hinduism. The temple is on the outskirts of Hyderabad. An hour’s drive from the US consulate in Hyderabad, the temple has long been dubbed the “Visa Balaji Temple” where prayers can be blessed by the god to receive an H-1B visa after getting a job in the US.

The H-1B visa is highly sought after by Indian immigrants who wish to work in the US. But under the Trump administration, only high-skilled immigrants or those with high salaries can be considered for this visa. Many believe that praying to the “God of Visa” can bring them an opportunity.

The payer ceremony includes pradakshina practiced by walking around an image, relic, temple, or other sacred objects. In this case, it is the statue inside the temple. AT Chilkur Balaji, worshipers must perform 11 pradakshina turns, a number representing soul and body. Some people will place their passports and a flower in front of the deity while walking around and chanting Hindu hymns.

Sometimes they also use fresh coconuts to make offerings. If their wish is fulfilled, they have to come back here and complete 108 turns of pradakshina to show their gratitude.

The temple became famous in the 1980s after a group of engineers visited the temple. All of them were granted their wishes. There are some cases that the worshipers have received a visa after visiting the temple even though they have been denied many times before.

Every day, people start queuing in front of the temple to wait for their turn. And many of them are talented IT engineers in the country.

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