Enterprise-Record (Chico)

India’s visa temples attract devotees aspiring to go abroad

- By Deepa Bharath

CHENNAI, INDIA >> Arjun Viswanatha­n stood on the street, his hands folded, eyes fixed on the idol of the Hindu deity Ganesh.

On a humid morning, the informatio­n technology profession­al was waiting outside the temple, the size of a small closet — barely enough room for the lone priest to stand and perform puja or rituals for the beloved elephant-headed deity, believed to be the remover of obstacles.

Viswanatha­n was among about a dozen visitors, most of them there for the same purpose: To offer prayers so their U.S. visa interviews would go smoothly and successful­ly. Viswanatha­n came the day before his interview for an employment visa.

“I came here to pray for my brother’s U.K. visa 10 years ago and for my wife’s U.S. visa two years ago,” he said. “They were both successful. So I have faith.”

The Sri Lakshmi Visa Ganapathy Temple is a few miles north of the airport in Chennai (formerly Madras), a bustling metropolis on the Coromandel Coast in southeast India — known for its iconic cuisine, ancient temples and churches, silk saris, classical music, dance and sculptures.

Growing popularity

This “visa temple” has surged in popularity among U.S. visa seekers over the past decade; they can be found in almost any Indian city with a U.S. consulate. They typically gain a following through word of mouth or social media.

A mile away from the Ganesh temple is the Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Navaneetha Krishnan Temple, where an idol of Hanuman — a deity who has a human body and the face of a monkey — is believed to possess the power to secure visas. Also known as “Anjaneya,” this god stands for strength, wisdom and devotion. In this temple, he has earned the monikers “America Anjaneya” and “Visa Anjaneya.”

The temple’s longtime secretary, G.C. Srinivasan, said it wasn’t until 2016 that this temple became a “visa temple.”

“It was around that time that a few people who prayed for a visa spread the word around that they were successful, and it’s continued,” he said.

A month ago, Srinivasan said he met someone who got news of his visa approval even as as he was circumambu­lating the Anjaneya idol — a common Hindu practice of walking around a sacred object or site.

On a recent Saturday night, devotees decorated the idol with garlands made of betel leaves. S. Pradeep, who placed a garland on the deity, said he was not there to pray for a visa, but believes in the god’s unique power.

“He is my favorite god,” he said. “If you genuinely pray — not just for visa — it will come true.”

Success stories

At the Ganesh temple, some devotees had success stories to share. Jyothi Bontha said her visa interview at the U.S. Consulate in Chennai went without a hitch, and that she had returned to offer thanks.

“They barely asked me a couple of questions,” she said. “I was pleasantly surprised.”

Bontha’s friend, Phani Veeranki, stood nearby, nervously clutching an envelope containing her visa applicatio­n and supporting documents. Bontha and Veeranki, both computer science students from the neighborin­g state of Andhra Pradesh and childhood friends, are headed to Ohio.

Both learned about the visa temple on the social media platform Telegram.

Veeranki said she was anxious because she had a lot riding on her upcoming visa interview.

“I’m the first person in my family to go the United States,” she said. “My mother is afraid to send me. But I’m excited for the opportunit­ies I’ll have in America.”

Veeranki then handed over the envelope to the temple’s priest for him to place at the foot of the idol for a blessing.

“We’ve been hearing about applicatio­ns being rejected,” she said, her hands still folded in prayer. “I’m really hoping mine gets approved.”

 ?? DEEPA BHARATH — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? Arjun Viswanatha­n places his hands on a basket of flowers to be offered to the Hindu deity Ganesh at the Sri Lakshmi Visa Ganapathy Temple in Chennai, a city on the southern coast of India, on Nov. 28. These “visa temples” can be found in almost any Indian city with a U.S. consulate. They have surged in popularity because of a belief popularize­d on social media that those who pray there will not just get their visa, but will enjoy a smooth, stress-free path to getting it.
DEEPA BHARATH — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Arjun Viswanatha­n places his hands on a basket of flowers to be offered to the Hindu deity Ganesh at the Sri Lakshmi Visa Ganapathy Temple in Chennai, a city on the southern coast of India, on Nov. 28. These “visa temples” can be found in almost any Indian city with a U.S. consulate. They have surged in popularity because of a belief popularize­d on social media that those who pray there will not just get their visa, but will enjoy a smooth, stress-free path to getting it.
 ?? DEEPA BHARATH — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? Visa seekers gather to pray at the Sri Lakshmi Visa Ganapathy Temple in Chennai, a city on the southern coast of India, on Nov. 28.
DEEPA BHARATH — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Visa seekers gather to pray at the Sri Lakshmi Visa Ganapathy Temple in Chennai, a city on the southern coast of India, on Nov. 28.

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