The news from Hyderabad

The Sepia Mutiny blog today has an immigration-related post from Manish Vij.  He provides a link to a Deccan Herald story about the Chilkur Balaji temple near Hyderabad, which has become a site of devotion for those seeking visas.

“The 500-year-old Balaji temple at Chilkur, about 40 km from Hyderabad attracts plenty of visitors, the devout praying for a hundred different things, as at most temples. But none as many as those who want visas. So, much so, the (swayambhu) god here has begun to be referred to as ‘Visa Venkateswara Swami’. It is a growingly popular belief, around here, that this god grants the most difficult-to-obtain visas to go abroad for jobs, post-marriage emigrations, or higher studies, in a miraculously short time after making a vow.”

The link to the full Deccan Herald article, “The God of Sure Visas” is here.

-jmc