HYDERABAD, INDIA, July 28, 2008: The official residence of the “Visa God”, Chilkur Balaji, is in the little village of Chilkur — tucked away in the southwest corner of Hyderabad and flanked by Osmansagar and a national forest, Mrugavani. “You need to complete 11 pradakshinas with folded hands and nothing but the Lord in your heart. At the end, close your eyes and make the wish to Kaliyuga Devam (Lord of Kaliyuga), Balaji, and rest assured your wish will be granted,” explains an archaka to a first-timer. But the visa comes with a rider. “Once your wish is granted, you should come back to the temple and this time 108 pradakshinas should be completed as a mark of your gratitude,” adds the archaka.
Prayers for visas began in the early 1990’s when engineering students from nearby colleges came to the temple seeking divine help to receive their visas to study abroad. The chief priest of the temple, C. S. Gopalakrishna, suggested this practice of pradakshinas, which has become standard procedure for visa-aspiring devotees.