Praying to the visa gods: why Indians hoping to study or work abroad visit ‘visa temples’

Every year, hundreds of thousands of Indians undertake pilgrimages to four popular ‘visa temples’ seeking divine intervention in getting a prized visa

One of these temples is in tech hub Hyderabad, which sends more students to the United States than almost any other place in the world

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Indian Hindu devotees offer prayers to Lord Balaji, known as the 'Visa God', at the Chilkur Balaji Temple near Hyderabad. Photo: AFP

Published: 10:30am, 16 Aug 2020Updated: 11:12pm, 16 Aug 2020

Getting a visa to travel abroad for studies or a plum job is a widely-held dream in most countries. Indians are no different. Many are even willing to go the extra mile – literally – to secure that visa.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of Indians undertake pilgrimages to one of the country’s four ‘visa temples’ to seek divine intervention in getting the desired immigration stamp from authorities in the US, UK, Canada or other coveted countries. The underlying hope is that the cosmos will oblige, even if the consulate does not.

One such popular shrine is the Chilkur Balaji temple. Located on the banks of Osman Sagar Lake in the southern city of Hyderabad, it is dedicated to Sri Venkateswara Balaji. Also known as the ‘Visa Balaji temple’, it has a sizeable following among software professionals eyeing a prized US visa.

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’.

Student visa hopefuls offer prayers to Lord Balaji, known as the 'Visa God', at the Chilkur Balaji Temple in Hyderabad. Photo: AFP

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.