Is your visa application causing you sleepless nights? Then you are in the right place. Welcome to the Sri Lakshmi Visa Ganapathy Temple in Chennai. It is famously known as the Visa Temple. People visit this temple hoping to smooth their path to international travel.
The Sri Lakshmi Visa Ganapathy Temple is a few miles north of the Chennai airport. Chennai is a bustling city on India’s Coromandel Coast. This area is famous for temples, silk saris, and classical arts.
This Visa Temple’s popularity has grown in recent years. Now you can find similar temples in almost every Indian city that has a US consulate. Word of mouth and social media have fueled this growth.
Just a mile from here is another temple. It is the Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Navaneetha Krishnan Temple. This temple features an idol of Hanuman, a monkey-faced deity. This Hanuman is believed to help people get visas. People also call him “America Anjaneya” and “Visa Anjaneya”.
G.C. Srinivasan is the longtime secretary of the Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Navaneetha Krishnan Temple. He noted that it became a “visa temple” around 2016. People who prayed for visa success shared their stories.
One devotee received news of his visa approval while walking around the Anjaneya idol. This is a common Hindu practice.
Devotees often decorate the idol with garlands made of betel leaves. One devotee, S. Pradeep, said he believes in the god’s unique power. He said that genuine prayer can make wishes come true, not just for visas.
Back here at the Visa Temple, devotees share their success stories. Jyothi Bontha said her US visa interview in Chennai went smoothly. She returned to thank the deity. She was surprised that they asked her so few questions.
Bontha’s friend, Phani Veeranki, was nervous about her upcoming interview. She is the first in her family to travel to the United States. Veeranki placed her visa application at the idol’s feet for a blessing. She hoped her application would be approved.
Mohanbabu Jagannathan and his wife, Sangeetha, run this temple. Jagannathan’s grandfather built it in 1987. The family’s home is on a cul-de-sac. In Chennai, people consider this bad luck. A Ganesh temple outside the home is believed to ward off evil.
Jagannathan said the temple gained a reputation over the years. Visa applicants spread the word about their success after praying here.
In 2009, Jagannathan’s father reconstructed the temple. He added the word “visa” to its name. Jagannathan said the family is happy to offer this service to the public.
Sangeetha recalls a man traveling from New Delhi. He prayed for a visa to see his grandchild after eight years. She also remembers a woman calling in tears after her visa was rejected.
Padma Kannan prayed here for her daughter, Monisha. Monisha was preparing to study in the United States. Kannan believes the deity helped her daughter get her visa.
Another devotee, Arjun Viswanathan, once doubted the temple’s power. But he became a believer after his wife got her US visa. Viswanathan’s employment visa was later approved after he visited this temple.
The story of this Visa Temple is about faith. If you believe, your wishes might just come true. As you leave today, carry with you the hope. May your journey be blessed and your visa secured.