India is the incredible land of amazing cultural integration. Here people are fast progressing but still rooted to its faith in god. While people in different parts of the world like mountaineering and rock climbing just to conquer a hill, in India people of all age set such targets in the name of God and faith. People of all age continue walking and climbing almost all round the year, be it the 22kms rocky roads of Vaishno Devi Mata Temple , the snow covered Amarnath Temple requiring intensive rock climbing or waiting in queue for several hours just to get a few second glimpse of Tirupathi balaji.
Recently, I heard one such amazing story of faith about Chilkur Balaji temple. Chilkur Balaji is also known as VISA God. Surprised?? Even, I was surprised when I heard from my friend that Chilkur Balaj is said to be very powerful in helping people get VISAs, with specialization in US VISAs. Faith can do wonders for sure.
This unique temple is located on the outskirts of Hyderabad, on the banks of Osman Sagar lake. Balaji temple at Chilkur village on the outskirts of Hyderabad has become famous as the “visa temple” and is attracting youngsters with an urge to fly to greener pastures abroad. The temple in chilukur is definitely an epicenter of lot of spiritual energy.
According to the temple history , almost all IT professionals visiting the temple had got an onsite opportunity within a year of visting the temple .The faith here is that if a person makes 11 rounds of the entire temple and prays with some wish in mind then that wish comes true . After the 11 rounds , he / she is fit to worship God and incase if the wish comes true , one should make 108 rounds of the entire temple.
At first, 108 rounds sounded absolutely crazy to me. The funny and weird thing is that such a faith is just passed on by word of mouth . Not even a single scripture says that this is the real story and still one can find people making 108 rounds in huge groups like a massive marathon. Who doesn’t have dreams and unfulfilled desires ? On an average, 8000-10,000 students visit the temple in the hope of securing the elusive but highly sought-after US visa. The temple draws 100,000 visitors a week, many of whom come to pray to Lord Balaji for visas to travel or move to the U.S. and other Western countries. When all logic fails, most people turn to the god to seek divine intervention. The whole process of granting American visas defies any logic.
History: Once a old man wanted to visit Tirupathi.But due to his old age he was unable to travel and visit. One night lord venkateshwara swamy came into his dream and asked him to dig at a particular place at chilkur.The man got the place dug when all of a sudden they heard a cry when the digging rod stuck a stone like structure. The removed it to find that it was an idol of Lord Venkateshwara swamy with his forehead bleeding. Then the temple of Balaji was constructed at this place.
People from all set of corners of society make rounds in hope of getting their wishes fulfilled. There were physicaly challenged people walking on one stick, Ladies with tiny toddlers walking around the temple, medically unfit people who want to get cured by these rounds . Somewhere Faith and Belief can drive a person to do the impossible.
This is one of the very few temples in India which does not accept monetary donations in a Hundi and therefore does not fall under the purview of endowments department of Government. Chilkut balaji temple circulates a monthly magazine “Vak” which means Speech (Of GOD), nominally priced at Rs 5.00 only.
I feel very proud that our nation has such a rich heritage where good beliefs and faiths are passed on from generation to another with or without scriptures . Even if the rounds did no fulfilment of dreams , atleast it kindled into many a feeling that they can do what they want to do .