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Nestled at a distance of 30 km from Hyderabad city is the astoundingly beautiful village –Chilkur. Not only does the village serve a picturesque view to the tourists but also is a famous pilgrimage in the city. The Balaji Temple of Chiklur is established on Osman Sagar Lake banks. Commutation of the travellers and the pilgrims is easy as the temple is built adjacent to the Vikarabad Road. The temple is very renowned in the area and a large number of devotees all across the country flock to the Balaji temple every year.
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Chilkur Balaji Temple (Visa Balaji)
The Balaji Temple of Chiklur Village has an appealing architectural beauty to boast the talent of the great artisans, who built the temple almost 500 years ago. The presiding deities of the alternative form of Tirumala Temple are God Balaji Venkateswara, Goddess Sridevi, and Goddess Bhoodevi. The locals have devotedly worshipped the deities way before than the temple was built.
According to the local beliefs, the Balaji Temple of Chiklur was built by a devotee of Lord Balaji, who succumbed to his health issues was unable to visit the Tirupati Temple. It is also said that the devotee was blessed by Lord Venkateswara himself because of his unmatched devotion. The lord happened to have instructed the devotee to look out for his idol along with Goddesses Sridevi and Bhoodevi in order to establish the Balaji Temple of Chiklur, Hyderabad. Since then, the local residents of the area and the ones that are unable to visit the Tirupati Temple come to pay their devotions to Lord Balaji Venkateswara here.
The Balaji Temple is being popularly addressed as the “Visa Balaji Temple”, now. This is because the devotees believe that their dream of going to the overseas gets granted if they pay a visit to this temple in Chiklur. The temple unlike any other in India does not have a ‘Hundi’ or a donation box. It is a popular belief that the wishes and prayers of the devotees are granted only on the basis of their devotion by Lord Balaji Venkateswara. Also, the ones who are struggling with their foreign Visa approval visit this temple in Chiklur to worship Lord Balaji. A common pattern is followed by all the devotees of the temple –they offer 11 pradakshinas along with their prayers to the presiding deity so that their wishes get granted. Once their wish has been fulfilled by the Lord, they return to the temple to offer 108 pradakshinas and thank you prayers. The rounds or pradakshinas performed by the believers is done along with certain chants of mantras, while the priests of the temple motivate these followers with their sound knowledge concerning the religious background of the temple in languages like –English and Telugu.
The environment of the temple is completely religious and imparts a unique sense of blissfulness. The ‘Visa’ temple of Chiklur is so famous that around 1 lakh people pay a visit to the holy shrine in a week. The crowd increases manifold times during Anakota, Poolangi, and Brahmotsavam occasions. Not only do the devotees of the Hindu religion flock to the temple but also various learned saints visit the shrine every now and then. The devotees can visit the temple anytime during 5 am to 8 pm on any day throughout the week. The Telangana Tourism department has done its best to provide accommodations for the tourists from not only across India but also from foreign countries too.
How to Reach
The temple is located in Chanda Nagar Village of Hyderabad city in Himayat Nagar, with area Pincode -501504, in the Indian state –Telangana.
By Air: The nearest Airport to reach the Chiklur Balaji temple is the Hyderabad Airport, which is located at a distance of 20 km from the Village. You can book a cab or travel on the tourist bus from the Airport to Chiklur village easily.
By Rail: The Himayat Nagar Railway station is situated close to Chiklur. If you are travelling through train then you can easily take a cab or an auto-rickshaw from the railway station to reach up to your destination without much trouble.
By Road: The TSRTC services have provided buses all over Hyderabad for the easy commutation of travellers. Some of the major cities are connected through buses to the Mehdipatnam bus stand, which is the closest bus stand to Chiklur. Not only this but also the TSRTC has arranged special bus services during the weekends that offer a tour package to the Visa Balaji temple of Chiklur. Also, various connecting buses are available on route 288D for the travellers from other nearby cities. The distance from the heart of Hyderabad is around 42 km and it hardly takes more than an hour to reach up to the temple.
