Hyderabad, April 05: With the election dates approaching in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, politicians and their relatives from there have been making a beeline to the well-known Balaji temple at Chilkur here.
The temple has come to be known as ‘Visa Balaji temple’ as the devotees, especially students, believe that a visit there would improve their prospects for securing a visa to the US.
But, now even political leaders have begun seeking divine intervention for success in the elections.
Devotees perform 11 circumambulations (pradakshinams) of the temple and seek blessings with a promise to return and perform 108 ‘Pradakshinas’ as a thanksgiving if their vow is fulfilled.
The head priest M. V. Soundara Rajan is leveraging the situation to press for achievement of the goals of the Temple Protection Movement (of which he is convenor) to prevent commercialisation of temples and improving their spiritual quotient for the benefit of society.
He is trying to prevail upon the politicos to introduce free darshan in temples in Tamil Nadu, ticketless ‘archana’ and ensure administration of temples without political interference.
The head priests — Soundararajan and C. S. Gopalakrishna — who make a specific invocation on behalf of devotees seeking success in elections, told them to do their bit for de-commercialisation of temples as common people were more interested in having a free darshan in temples in Tamil Nadu rather than free TV sets, mixers, grinders and laptops.
They said the contestants and their relatives had responded positively to their request. Late Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, who too had offered prayers before 2004 elections, kept his word and amended the draconian Endowments Act giving autonomy to temples.
–Agencies