Thousands of devotees, including US visa aspirants, offer prayers at Chilkur Balaji Temple on Friday
HYDERABAD: Devotees queued up at the Chilkur Balaji Temple on Sivaratri day with a novel prayer on their lips. Many of them added a couple of extra pradakshinas seeking Lord Balaji’s intervention to change US President Donald Trump’s strict stance on visas for Indians.
The timely prayers were offered keeping in mind Trump’s two-day visit to India that begins on February 24.
Known as the ‘Visa’ Balaji, the temple’s deity is popular with youngsters, especially techies, who believe that praying at the temple will get them a US visa for certain.
Students who want to go to the United States to pursue higher studies and others seeking H-1B visas repose their faith in Lord Balaji.
Hundreds of devotees who throng the temple firmly believe that Lord Balaji has the power to beat Trump’s resolve to restrict the entry of immigrants into the US.
The temple dedicated to Lord Balaji (re-incarnation of Lord Vishnu) has in fact witnessed a larger number of devotees ever since Trump announced his decision to tighten immigration laws and to impose restrictions on H-1B visas for non-immigrants, say priests.
Thousands of students nursing the big American dream perform 11 pradakshinas (circumambulations) before attending the visa interview.
If they do secure the visa, they visit the temple again and this time perform 108 pradakshinas.
Head priest Dr MV Soundararajan and CS Gopalakrishna told ENS that, “As against the regular number of pradakshinas, devotees nowadays offer two extra pradakshinas so that Donald Trump relaxes visa rules. This was especially noticed this Sivaratri as devotees prayed that the Trump administration change its highly restrictive policy towards skilled techies from India,” the temple priests explained. CS Rangarajan, another priest, said, “Devotees need not worry. Trump is temporary, but Lord Balaji is permanent. If he wants, he can even change the mind of the US President.”
Performing additional pradakshinas
Head priest Dr MV Soundararajan and CS Gopalakrishna told Express that, “As against the regular number of 11 or 108 pradakshinas, devotees nowadays offer two extra pradakshinas so that Trump changes his mind and relaxes visa rules.
This was especially noticed this Sivaratri as devotees prayed that the Trump administration change its highly restrictive policy towards dedicated and skilled techies from India,” they explained.
