Chilkur Balaji Temple, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
Significance of the temple :
No doubt god is omniscience, omnipresence and omnipotence, but always there will be some significant importance to the places where he dwells. Like Tirumala, where he is known as the lord of seven hills, like varanasi or benares where he is known as vishwanath etc. Each of these places has prominent importance, the mere visiting of these places and seeking the blessings of god at these places has an impact on the people. Similar is the case with the chilkur balaji temple at hyderabad. The temple was built around 500 years ago. This temple is considered to be an alternative to Tirumala temple. Lord Balaji blesses devotees alongwith ammavaru RajyaLakshmi.
Another speciality of the temple is that it has a temple for Lord Siva within the premises to show that Siva and Kesava are same and there is no difference between them. Devotees visiting Lord Balaji can also visit Lord Siva and seek his blessings.
Another speciality of the temple is that it has a temple for Lord Siva within the premises to show that Siva and Kesava are same and there is no difference between them. Devotees visiting Lord Balaji can also visit Lord Siva and seek his blessings.
Route:
The nearest centrally accessible major location is mehdipatnam which is approximately around 21 Kms. One will get local transport such as buses run by TSRTC, can get share autos, also get lot of cabs run by various service providers. And apart from these modes of transport people travel by two wheelers, four wheelers etc to this prominent place to seek the blessings of Lord with a strong belief that their difficulties will be wiped off by the Lord's grace.
History:
The nearest centrally accessible major location is mehdipatnam which is approximately around 21 Kms. One will get local transport such as buses run by TSRTC, can get share autos, also get lot of cabs run by various service providers. And apart from these modes of transport people travel by two wheelers, four wheelers etc to this prominent place to seek the blessings of Lord with a strong belief that their difficulties will be wiped off by the Lord's grace.
History:
The temple is one of the oldest in Telengana, having been built during the time of Akkanna and Madanna, the uncles of Bhakta Ramdas. According to tradition, a devotee who used to visit Tirupati every year could not do so on one occasion owing to serious ill health. Lord Venkateshwara appeared in his dream and said, "I am right here in the jungle nearby. You don't have to worry." The devotee at once moved to the place indicated by the Lord in the dream and saw a molehill there, which he dug up. Accidentally, the axe struck Lord Balaji's idol (covered by the molehill) below the chin and on the chest. Surprisingly blood started flowing profusely from the "wounds", flooding the ground and turning it scarlet. The devotee could not believe his eyes. He could not believe his ears when he heard a voice from the air saying, "Flood the molehill with cow's milk." When the devotee did so, a Swayambhu idol of Lord Balaji accompanied by Sridevi and Bhoodevi (a rare combination) was found, and this idol was installed with the due rites and a temple built for it. The unique feature of this idol is that lotus flowers are held in three hands and the fourth hand is in a position towards the lotus feet which signifies the doctrine of Saranagathi.
The priests over here are running a revolution against the existing system prevailing in the temples. Presently to have darshan of god in the temple, there are various rates available namely special darshan ticket, quick darshan ticket etc. To see god one has to pay some amount in these temples, they are against this concept of taking money to see the god. For the same reason they have not kept any darshan tickets at chilkur neither there is any hundi or donation box kept at chilkur temple. One can freely have the darshan of the lord during the temple timings and everyone is same before god. It is the concept of equality and doesnt consider one to be high because of his position or the money he has with him. Everyone should come in the same darshan line or queue to have a darshan of lord whether she/he is a common man or a bureaucrat or a minister or rich man or a poor man. There is no need for a person to pay anything to have the darshan of lord.
Visit Ritual:
The popularity of chilkur rose to greater heights when people started getting solved their problems with the grace and blessings of lord balaji. The ritual is that one has to do pradikshna or parikrama or circumambulations to lord balaji 11 times and pray with his wish. And after completion of his wish, he need to come back to the temple and complete 108 pradakshinas. The daily increasing number of people who are doing 108 pradakshinas indicates how many people are blessed and have got their wishes fulfilled by Lord Balaji. People call him as Visa God, because people who have been rejected visas earlier after wishing at this temple have been granted visas. so it has become a trend that who ever is going for a visa to any country is coming to chilkur before he applies for a visa and is immediately granted his visa and after being granted comes back and performs his 108 pradakshinas. Cases where the visas have been rejected earlier, those people also after coming to chilkur have been granted visas by the grace of Lord.
Here the priests teach all the people whoever come to the temple with right conduct and right behaviour. Also they show the path to God only we need to travel in that path. They give some simple techniques by applying which most of the devotees have sorted out their problems. They make the people chant the name of the lord, also give chance to volunteer and perform seva to the lord. Most of the people has the common habit of closing their eyes during the darshan of lord, which they say that it is not correct and one has come all the way to have the darshan of lord, so they should not close their eyes during darshan, rather have the darshan of lord completely and when they sit aside, then they can close and meditate on lord or recall the form of the lord to their fullest satisfaction.As there is no donation box, they only want most of the people to get awareness of the fight they are waging against the government regarding the existing system of collecting money for lord's darshan prevailing in the temples. They feel that everyone is equal in front of the Lord and everyone has a right to visit the lord and for this there should not be any money collected in any form (like special ticket, special darshan, quick darshan etc). For the same reason one will not find any hundi in chilkur. (Presently most of the temples collect money for having the darshan of Lord) For this they are using a monthly magazine called Vak which is printed in 3 languages telugu, hindi and english costing 5 rupees. Their only wish is that who ever comes to chilkur should get the blessings of balaji in abundance.
Effective Techniques:
Some Techniques which are told by them and given in Vak magazine. One needs to chant the following slokas 28 times to get rid of certain problems in life.
Om Hrushikesaya Namah - For Overcoming Bad habits
Om Vashatkaaraya Namah - For Success in Business, Interviews, visa interviews, building relationships
Om Srimate Namah - For Handsome appearance and wealth
Om Aksharaya Namah - For Education and better financial strength
Om Paramatmane Namah - For self employed people, for promotions and success in games.
Om Bhutabhavanaya Namah - For better health.
Om Putatmane Namah - To remove mental stress and for mental peace.
Om Sarmane Namah - For Job Satisfaction
Om Bhutadaye Namah -To amend soured friendship or any personal relationship
Om Dhatre Namah - For issueless couple
Om vidhatre Namah - Pregnant Ladies to Chant for healthy babies.
Chant the following 108 times
Om Stavistaya Namah - To keep evil forces at bay.
Om Pushkaraya Namah- For overcoming bad times.
Om Narasimha vapushaya Namah - In moments of distress and despair
Om Kshetragnaya Namah - For aspirants of plots and own residence
Om Jyothishampatheye Namah - For Good Eyesight.
One need not doubt about these techniques. Because there are so many people who have got rid of their problems by applying these techniques in their life. One can go to chilkur to see such people and talk with them directly to hear the first hand experience of such devotees. And finally we have results as we have faith in mind. It all lies in our attitude and our mind how we are getting results for our actions. "Yat bhavam tat bhavathi", the result is bestowed basing on our inner thought. If we sow positive thoughts, we will reap positive results. If we sow negative thoughts, we will reap negative results. Everything lies in our mind. And as a simple proof that this works, one can test himself/herself what his/her faith lies in , if one feels that this is all trash and will never work, then because his/her belief is 100% in believing that they doesn't work, they will not work. If one feels that this is the remedy and having faith in lord that lord will bail him/her out of his present problem and they will work for him/her, then definitely it will bail him out of his present problem and work for him/her because he/she believed and acted on it. If we treat these as the techniques and tools for solving our problems, then definitely by the grace of lord these will help us in solving our problems in our daily life.
Whoever reading this by the grace of Lord Balaji realise this truth. May she/he have darshan of Lord Balaji and be happy in their lives. May good health, happiness, love, peace, harmony, success and prosperity be bestowed upon them by the Lord.
Loka Samastha sukhino bhavanthu. Sarve Jana Sukhino bhavanthu
Om Santhi Santhi Santhi.!.
If your plan is for 1 year, plant rice.
If your plan is for 10 years, plant trees.
If your plan is for 100 years, educate children.
- Confucius.
