Visa God features in Wall Street Journal

Back to work after a long weekend!
I got this mail from a colleague about the Chilkur temple getting a mention in the Wall Street Journal. The link is here for you to read and enjoy too.

http://www.garamchai.com/HyderabadVisaGod.htm

I heard about the Chilkur temple three years ago when I moved to Hyderabad. There were talks about the temple helping you to get through your visa interviews smoothly.

My first visit to the temple was on Durga puja day with my friends. Of course, after that I've been visiting it for 4-5 times now, mostly accompanying people who visit me to the temple.

On my first visit to the temple, I was really dumbstruck by the huge wave of people trying to make their way around the temple with a small piece of paper and a pen in hand. It was a totally different sight from what you get to see in other south indian temples. Curious to know what was in the paper, I peeped and got a glance of one of them. Any guesses? It was a piece of paper with numbers 1 to 108 printed on it in a grid. People were striking off the numbers one by one as and when they finish one round around the temple or a parikrama as they call it. It was an easier way to keep count of the 108 parikramas that they had to do. As much as it was amusing, I was impressed by the simple solution that the temple priests had provided for a problem much more simpler.
Another thing which I feel is good about this temple is that they do not accept any money as offerings. However, if you want to contribute in some way, you are welcome to offer your services at the temple for the short time you are there - like distributing flowers to the devotees, selling the books at the counter etc. If you want to contribute money, then you can buy the books that the temple trust publishes. They are published in English/Telugu and cost Rs.5 each. The temple encourages you to buy them and distribute it to spread the fame of the temple.
Some kind of temple reforms!!