Also known as “Visa Balaji Temple,” Chilkur Balaji near Hyderabad is among the most popular visa temples in India.
As fresh concerns emerge over the USD 100,000 H1B visa fee announced by US President Donald Trump, Telangana’s Chilkur Balaji Temple—popularly called the ‘Visa Balaji temple’—has once again come under the spotlight. For thousands of Indians, particularly IT professionals aspiring to work in the United States, this shrine on the outskirts of Hyderabad is seen as a spiritual anchor.
For more than two decades, devotees have flocked to this temple with the belief that sincere prayers here can help secure foreign visas. From engineering graduates to seasoned tech workers, countless visitors narrate experiences where their visa applications coincided with prayers offered at Chilkur.
"I got my H1B on 19 September and I had my interview on 18th. It was a normal interview. They asked me a single question and they told me my visa is approved. This was my H1B renewal. I came to Chilkur Balaji on 10th. Yeah, it's always been a lucky charm for me," Sai Rowtik, a Game Developer, told PTI.
Not just the aspirants, but also parents of those already in the US visit the temple, praying that their children continue to receive the Lord's blessings.
"We had visited the Balaji temple earlier as well, when our daughter went from India to the US, then from the US to Canada, and from Canada to the US again. In total, we have visited this temple six times," said Suguna, a devotee.
Another aspirant, Vinay, who did not succeed in this year’s visa lottery, turned to Balaji for guidance. “The fee structure is unclear, and the lottery itself is a matter of chance. Whatever the outcome, I believe in Balaji’s blessings,” he said.
All about the Visa Temple
Tradition at the temple involves performing 11 pradakshinas (circumambulations) while making a wish, and returning to complete 108 pradakshinas once the wish is fulfilled. According to chief priest CS Rangarajan the temple’s reputation began in the 1990s when students from nearby colleges started visiting before visa interviews. Their success stories eventually earned the shrine its enduring nickname.As per reports, the temple’s reputation began in the 1990s when students from nearby colleges started visiting before visa interviews. Their success stories eventually earned the shrine its enduring nickname.
Reportedly, Chilkur Balaji has no hundi (donation box), paid rituals, or VIP privileges unlike most temples. people do not offer coconuts, money, or flowers while worshipping the deity here.
The focus is solely on devotion and prayer, with no monetary offerings involved.
Believed to be over 500 years old and located near Osman Sagar Lake, about 30 km from Hyderabad, the temple continues to attract aspirants who see it not just as a religious site, but as a beacon of hope on their journey to the American dream.
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For more than two decades, devotees have flocked to this temple with the belief that sincere prayers here can help secure foreign visas. From engineering graduates to seasoned tech workers, countless visitors narrate experiences where their visa applications coincided with prayers offered at Chilkur.
"I got my H1B on 19 September and I had my interview on 18th. It was a normal interview. They asked me a single question and they told me my visa is approved. This was my H1B renewal. I came to Chilkur Balaji on 10th. Yeah, it's always been a lucky charm for me," Sai Rowtik, a Game Developer, told PTI.
Not just the aspirants, but also parents of those already in the US visit the temple, praying that their children continue to receive the Lord's blessings.
"We had visited the Balaji temple earlier as well, when our daughter went from India to the US, then from the US to Canada, and from Canada to the US again. In total, we have visited this temple six times," said Suguna, a devotee.
Another aspirant, Vinay, who did not succeed in this year’s visa lottery, turned to Balaji for guidance. “The fee structure is unclear, and the lottery itself is a matter of chance. Whatever the outcome, I believe in Balaji’s blessings,” he said.
All about the Visa Temple
Tradition at the temple involves performing 11 pradakshinas (circumambulations) while making a wish, and returning to complete 108 pradakshinas once the wish is fulfilled. According to chief priest CS Rangarajan the temple’s reputation began in the 1990s when students from nearby colleges started visiting before visa interviews. Their success stories eventually earned the shrine its enduring nickname.As per reports, the temple’s reputation began in the 1990s when students from nearby colleges started visiting before visa interviews. Their success stories eventually earned the shrine its enduring nickname.Reportedly, Chilkur Balaji has no hundi (donation box), paid rituals, or VIP privileges unlike most temples. people do not offer coconuts, money, or flowers while worshipping the deity here.
The focus is solely on devotion and prayer, with no monetary offerings involved.
Believed to be over 500 years old and located near Osman Sagar Lake, about 30 km from Hyderabad, the temple continues to attract aspirants who see it not just as a religious site, but as a beacon of hope on their journey to the American dream.
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