HYDERABAD - Indian devotees believe the Chilkur Balaji temple in the southern city of Hyderabad has been particularly effective in blessing people with a successful US visa application, so much so that it is locally known as the "visa temple".
More than 1,000 Hindu worshippers visit the temple every day for a chance to live the American dream, chanting the visa god's name "Govinda" while circling the temple.
Balaji is regarded as an incarnation of Vishnu, the preserver of cosmic order in Hinduism. In 1984, the temple's elderly priest, C.S. Gopalakrishna, noticed water mysteriously appearing after he circled the sanctum 11 times. This event attracted visitors seeking blessings for marriage, children and success in India's competitive college admissions.
Pilgrims replicate Gopalakrishna's 11 laps around the temple sanctum, returning to complete 108 laps as a gesture of gratitude if their wishes are fulfilled. The ritual requires precision, with visitors chanting Balaji's name while using numbered yellow paper sheets provided by the temple to track their progress.
Gopalakrishna insists that divine intervention is not assured, saying that his god helps those who help themselves.