Chilkur Balaji Temple

Chilkur Balaji Temple also known as Visa Balaji temple is located in the Chilkur village of the Moinabad mandal on outskirts of Hyderabad around 30 kms from the city. This was constructed around 600 years back and is dedicated to Lord Venkateswara Swamy. It is famous with young devotees for granting wishes about VISA for studies and jobs abroad. There is also a Siva temple in the same premises.

Chilkur is famous for Pradakshinas that devotees make before making a wish and after the wish is fulfilled. The devotees come and do 11 pradakshinas(going around the inside of temple) while wishing for something and once their wish is fulfilled, they come back and make 108 pradakshinas. One can also do one Mahapradakshina before(while wishing) and 11 Mahapradakshina after the wish is fulfilled. Mahapradakshina means starting in front of the Gopuram outside the temple and going around the premises. The unique thing about this temple is that there is no hundi(donation box) for offering money. Also, the priests keep insisting that the devotees keep their eyes open while having the darshan to see the idol fully. The idol is small in contrast to all the other idols of Lord Venkateswara in other temples.

It is believed that one devotee who used to visit Tirumala every year was not able to go to Tirumala one year because of ill health and hence Lord Venkateswara appeared in his dream and asked him to dig up a place in the forest area on the banks of Osman sagar lake. He finds a small idol of Venkateswara swamy along with Sridevi and Bhoodevi. A temple was built with these idols later. There is a lot of rush on weekends with a large number of devotees coming and doing Pradakshinas. So better to go on a weekday and if you need to do Pradakshinas, better to go early in the morning. There are quiet a few shops outside the temple premises.

Telangana Government runs TGSRTC buses every day from Mehdipatnam to Chilkur Balaji Temple(Route number 288D) and the first bus from Mehdipatnam starts at 5.25 am and the first bus from Chilkur bus stop is at 6.15 am. There is enough car parking near the temple and they charge Rs.30/- for car.

Temple Timings: 6 am to 1 pm in the morning and 4 pm to 7 pm in the evening.

Pradakshina Timings : 6 am to 12.30 pm and 4 pm to 6.30 pm(Monday to Thursday inside and Friday to Sunday Outside)

You may find the information on other temples in Telangana here.