Lately, [Lord Balaji] has grown particularly popular at the once-quiet Chilkur Balaji temple [near Hyderabad], where he goes by a new nickname: the Visa God. 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.Another line that caught my attention: "Now devotees of the Visa God say they have to reach the temple by 6 a.m. to avoid the daytime rush."
....
In the late 1990s, this small temple ... drew just two or three visitors a week.
C.S. Gopala Krishna, the 63-year-old head priest of the Chilkur Balaji Temple, wanted more people to come. So he gave Lord Balaji a new identity. "I named him the Visa God," he says. Now, Mr. Gopala Krishna's temple is a hot spot. Billboards on the dirt road to the temple advertise English-language schools and visa advisers.[emphasis added]
6 a.m. That is usually the time we hear the Venkatesha Suprabhatham, the song used to wake the Lord in the morning. Given the special nature of the boon that the visa seekers are asking, I think a new prayer needs to be created. Here's what I think the first two verses of the visa-seekers' Suprabhatham could sound like (my modifications in bold):
Kausalya supraja Rama
Poorva sandhya pravarthathe
Uthishta visadhara
Karthavyam daivamahnikam
Uthishtothishta Viseshwara
Uthishta Garudadhwaja
Uthishta Kamalakantha
Passport stampum kuru
For the Sanskrit-challenged like myself, here's a translation (Parijata or other friends that know Sanskrit, please feel free to correct):
Kausalya's endearing son, Sri Rama
It is morning
Please wake up, bearer of visas,
You have to do your divine duties
Wake up, wake up, Lord of Visas
Wake up, He who has Garuda on His flag
Wake up, husband of Lakshmi
Passport-stamping awaits.
And presumably, once the visa has been successfully gotten, the trip to the US made, the Honda purchased, the visit to the Pittsburgh Venkateswara temple completed, the marriage to nice desi spouse done, the beneficiary of these blessings can pay homage to Chilkur Balaji by naming the first-born: Visanath.
============================================
p.s: I invite readers adept at Sanskrit to expand the "Venkatesha Suprabhatham - U.S. Visa Edition" by adding their own verses. Original version of the Suprabhatham available here.
Links
1. Hat Tip: The Marc Andressen blog
2. Venkatesha Suprabatham, the original version
3. The Chilkur Balaji temple, official website
27 comments:
Dude, several years ago the Alwarpet Hanuman temple's pujari had special pujas for visa interviews.
*shakes head*
And oh come on. You missed the most important part.
I'm going to find my OWN girl. With hookers! And Blackjack. In fact forget the girl. And the blackjack.
Until mommy and daddy arrive to set their chamathu chella payyan right. :)
India is the world's leading producers of nuts.
lol@visanath.
I second Metlin's comment on the Alwarpet temple. I never went there, but do visit the Raasi silks rt across it ;)
Now those temples for AIDS-amma, TB-amma don't seem so weird after all.
Utthishtha Garudadhwaja seems so apt even! Bald eagle and all.
Us Indians are mad people.
@metlin- looks like you did go for the special visa darshan?
@metlin2 - somehow, don't think finding your own girl is going to be a problem. :P
@narendra- my philosophy is "whatever floats your boat." Or as that famous American philosopher Sheryl Crow said, "If it makes you happy, it can't be that bad."
The head priest of the temple used to work for Hindustan Lever. Looks like he took away a few marketing lessons from Lever.
@rads- why, the crowd at the temple was too long? :P
@spunky monkey- welcome and thanks for your comments. Didn't realize there were similar temples for Aids & TB. Like I commented in response to Narendra, this is one of those situations that is so arbitrary (the US visa system) that people clutch at any straws available. It is totally understandable.
Happy New Year BPSK!
Happy New Year BPSK!
First, you are a man of multiple interests. Equally at ease discussing God as you are discussing whiskey;).
I hope the guys who go to the temple DO NOT get their visa. We dont need such stupid people in the US. Bad advertisement for India. Spoils the name which people like BPSK have created;)
I was reading this news the other day. Struck me as very funny.
On the other hand, praying is better than procuring fake income certificates!
Visanath and spunky monkey's explanation of garudadhwaja were superb! :D
so much has grown the lust for travelling abroad, that even the god is not spared...
besh besh, very good I say :-)
I've been to the Chilkur temple, (not for a visa though) - it's this absolutely teensy weensy little temple in the middle of a village out of the early 760 B.C and the crowds are mindboggling..esp on saturdays.. and the ones who do the nercha have to go around the sanctum sanctorum 108 times - so its a whole train of people going around in circles..
I wouldn't attempt the Suprabhatam, but I'll try the Vishnu Sahasranamam for a berth in hell ;-) -
Paritranaaya visa-seekeranaam
Vinaashaaya cha visa-rejectkruthaam
Visa samsthaapanaarthaaya
Sambhavaami yuge yuge
Original:
Paritranaaya saadhoonaam
Vinaashaaya cha dushkruthaam
Dharma samsthaapanaarthaaya
Sambhavaami yuge yuge
(To protect good people and to destroy the evil-doers, And to establish Dharma in this world, I (Lord Vishnu) will be born again and again)
P.S: I'm definitely going to hell.
@wicked taurus- long time, no comment. :-) Happy new year to you too! Hope Mommy Dearest didn't call you up at the stroke of midnight to check up on you, and found you jigging the night away at a club. ;-)
@ok- thanks OK, good to see you are still keeping up with the blogs :-)
@giridhar- as I mentioned in my earlier comment, desperate times call for desperate measures. The issue is that the entire US visa process is so arbitrary that people turn to any avenue they can for solace.
@priya- firstly, THANK YOU for the detailed comments and for taking up the challenge. Yes, reading up on Chilkur Balaji, the temple does seem to have undergone a revival with this new approach. Re. the Sahasranaman, thank you, but translation *please*? I can guess, but want to be sure.
Pure genius you are I tell you. :D
Umaachi Kaapathu.
oh and priya, I THINK thats the bhagavad gita, not the sahasranamam. Krishna says that,
Paritranaaya saadhoonaam
Vinaashaaya cha dushkruthaam
Dharma samsthaapanaarthaaya
Sambhavaami yuge yuge
to arjuna, in that chapter where he takes the vishwaroopa.
I THINK.
Na nalla chamathu iyengar ponnu.
:D
@may- thank you :-)
@lavanya- looks like the coconut has fallen not too far from the tree. Parents must be so proud. :P
I can think of a visa mantra - "maam visaam dehi"..
translation?! never been asked to provide translations for cold blooded murders :-)
it's something like this:
To protect visa seekers,
To destroy people who reject visas
To establish visa on this planet
I'll be born again
regret askin' eh? :-)
@coconut chutney - yep, you're right. AFAIK the Sahasranamam is part of the Gita. Anyway, this shlokam comes in the last part of the Vishnu Sahasranamam (actually after the 1000 names are all over) extolling the powers of reciting the Sahasranamam, etc etc etc.
btw, is it just me or does anyone else feel hungry reading your nick (coconut chutney - one word, YUMM!) :-)
I could not belive this - but well,,we are a great lot, we find a good reason to pray I suppose.
But the reason to create a temple with Khushboo as the diety was lost on me, perhaps you can explain?? Ange enna panna poorennu enakku theriyathu sami!!
@lekhni- that's a good mantram. Probably easier to remember too; and can use to practice at home while circling the chair with a picture of Chilkur Balaji :D
@priya- aww, that was not a murder, it's adaptation. Thanks for the translation.
@maddy- maybe the Khushboo-bhakt is there for a chance at a role in a Kollywood movie? :P
hmm somebody did miss meee :))
lol...all mommy, daddy, anna, maama, chitti, thatha........calls were all done by 11pm...YAY!
skip 11 - 5am ;)
new year morning was dedicated to MSS's Suprabatham followed by a Temple visit...am a chamath gal:P
@wt- lol, what exactly does skip "11-5" mean??? Were you living up to the first part of your name? :P Followed by the temple visit in the morning to wash away all paavams, eh? :D
SKIP (Acc to dear Wiki) where one or more participants jump over a spinning rope so that it passes under their feet and over their heads.
ps: more participants being key ;)
@wt- as the auto guys in your ilaaka would say, "engeyo pootai ma!" [scratches head] :)
pootai?! aint it poita?
btw autowallahs dont talk in such slang :P they go peters
"somewhere you going madam" :)
ps: use selsun blue or TGel for itchy scalp:D
black mold exposureblack mold symptoms of exposurewrought iron garden gatesiron garden gates find them herefine thin hair hairstylessearch hair styles for fine thin hairnight vision binocularsbuy night vision binocularslipitor reactionslipitor allergic reactionsluxury beach resort in the philippines
afordable beach resorts in the philippineshomeopathy for eczema.baby eczema.save big with great mineral makeup bargainsmineral makeup wholesalersprodam iphone Apple prodam iphone prahacect iphone manualmanual for P 168 iphonefero 52 binocularsnight vision Fero 52 binocularsThe best night vision binoculars here
night vision binoculars bargainsfree photo albums computer programsfree software to make photo albumsfree tax formsprintable tax forms for free craftmatic air bedcraftmatic air bed adjustable info hereboyd air bedboyd night air bed lowest pricefind air beds in wisconsinbest air beds in wisconsincloud air beds
best cloud inflatable air bedssealy air beds portableportables air bedsrv luggage racksaluminum made rv luggage racksair bed raisedbest form raised air bedsaircraft support equipmentsbest support equipments for aircraftsbed air informercialsbest informercials bed airmattress sized air beds
bestair bed mattress antique doorknobsantique doorknob identification tipsdvd player troubleshootingtroubleshooting with the dvd playerflat panel television lcd vs plasmaflat panel lcd television versus plasma pic the bestThe causes of economic recessionwhat are the causes of economic recessionadjustable bed air foam The best bed air foam
hoof prints antique equestrian printsantique hoof prints equestrian printsBuy air bedadjustablebuy the best adjustable air bedsair beds canadian storesCanadian stores for air beds
migraine causemigraine treatments floridaflorida headache clinicdrying dessicantair drying dessicantdessicant air dryerpediatric asthmaasthma specialistasthma children specialistcarpet cleaning dallas txcarpet cleaners dallascarpet cleaning dallas
vero beach vacationvero beach vacationsbeach vacation homes veroms beach vacationsms beach vacationms beach condosmaui beach vacationmaui beach vacationsmaui beach clubbeach vacationsyour beach vacationscheap beach vacations
bob hairstylebob haircutsbob layeredpob hairstylebobbedclassic bobCare for Curly HairTips for Curly Haircurly hair12r 22.5 best pricetires truck bustires 12r 22.5
washington new housenew house houstonnew house san antonionew house venturanew houston house houston house tx
Post a Comment