Indians flock to Hindu temples to pray for US visas after Trump crackdown Aspiring emigrants seek help at ‘Visa Hanuman’ and ‘Visa God’ temples after US president demanded tougher vetting.
Indian professionals have been flocking to Hindu temples believed to grant prayers for a US visa after Donald Trump signed several executive orders aimed at making immigration to the US more difficult.
The temple priest Vijay Bhatt told the Times of India that visa applicants were asked to place their passports before Lord Hanuman, one of the most beloved Hindu deities and known for his monkey-like appearance, and then recite a devotional hymn.
At Hyderabad’s Chilkur Balaji temple – dubbed the “Visa God” shrine – aspiring emigrants have been chanting prayers, performing rituals and completing 108 circumambulations barefoot, hoping for divine intervention.
The rush for divine help has been in evidence at Chamatkari Hanuman temple – popularly called “Visa Hanuman” – in Ahmedabad in the western state of Gujarat.
