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Chilkur Balaji Temple
Venkateswara (Balaji) · Chilkur, Telangana
॥ ॐ नमो वेङ्कटेशाय ॥
The Chilkur Balaji Temple near Hyderabad is a shrine of Venkateswara famous for two things: it takes no money — there is no hundi, no offering box, no paid queue — and it is known across India as the “Visa Balaji,” where hopeful travellers pray for their visas and walk eleven and then a hundred and eight circuits of the sanctum. It is a temple of pure faith, kept deliberately free of commerce.
The temple that takes no money
Chilkur Balaji is unusual among great temples in refusing all money offerings: there is no hundi and no donation counter, and the temple accepts no funds from devotees, running on principle rather than collection. Free of paid darshan and special queues, it draws crowds precisely because it asks nothing of them but faith.
The Visa Balaji and the 108 rounds
The temple’s modern fame rests on the custom of the vow: a devotee makes a wish — often for a visa or safe travel abroad — and walks eleven pradakshina (circuits) of the sanctum; when the wish is granted, they return to complete one hundred and eight rounds in thanksgiving. The sight of devotees counting their circuits has given Chilkur the affectionate name of Visa Balaji.
An old shrine of Venkateswara
The deity is Balaji — Venkateswara, the form of Vishnu worshipped at Tirupati — and the Chilkur shrine is traced in tradition to a devotee named Visoba and to the centuries when pilgrims could not always reach distant Tirumala. Set by the Osman Sagar lake on the edge of Hyderabad, it is busiest on full-moon days and Saturdays.
How to reach the temple
- By road: the temple is at Chilkur, about 30 km west of Hyderabad, near the Osman Sagar (Gandipet) lake.
- By rail: Hyderabad and Secunderabad are the city railheads.
- By air: Rajiv Gandhi International Airport is about 35 km away.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Chilkur Balaji take no money?
The temple refuses all money offerings on principle — there is no hundi, no donation box and no paid darshan. It runs free of commerce and asks only faith of its devotees.
Why is it called the Visa Balaji?
Many devotees pray here for visas and safe travel abroad, walking circuits of the sanctum as a vow; this custom has given the temple its popular name, Visa Balaji.
What is the 11 and 108 circuit custom?
A devotee makes a wish and walks eleven pradakshina (circuits) of the sanctum; when the wish is granted, they return to complete one hundred and eight rounds in thanksgiving.
Who is the deity at Chilkur?
The deity is Balaji — Venkateswara, the form of Vishnu worshipped at Tirupati — enshrined here near Hyderabad.
How do I reach Chilkur Balaji Temple?
It is at Chilkur, about 30 km west of Hyderabad near the Osman Sagar lake. The city railheads are Hyderabad and Secunderabad, and the airport is about 35 km away.
When is the temple busiest?
It is busiest on full-moon (Pournami) days and on Saturdays, which are sacred to Balaji.
॥ गोविंदा गोविंदा ॥ • Bhaktiras.net Temple Guide
| Deity | Venkateswara (Balaji), a form of Vishnu |
| Famous for | Taking no money — no hundi or paid darshan |
| Known as | Visa Balaji |
| Vow | 11 circuits to wish, 108 in thanksgiving |
| Setting | Near Osman Sagar lake, west of Hyderabad |
| Busiest | Full-moon days and Saturdays |