THE UNASSUMING TEMPLE AT CHILUKURU
THE SIMPLE
YET POWERFUL BALAJI TEMPLE
Balaji is another name for Lord Vishnu, who is one of the three main
Hindu deities.
There is an internationally famous Balaji hill temple at Tirupati in
Andhra Pradesh in South India. This temple has lakhs of devotees thronging for
a Darshan (Sighting) of the Lord Balaji deity all year around. Devotees
sometimes have to wait several hours for a quick Darshan of the Lord. The crowds
get even larger on festival and other auspicious days.
There are several other Balaji temples across India of course,
especially in the South of India.
But there is one, relatively less known Balaji temple on the outskirts
of Hyderabad in Telangana, India, which is quite special indeed.
This is called the Chilukuru Balaji temple because it is located in a
small village called Chilukuru, about 30 kms from Hyderabad.
What then is special about this temple?
Firstly, this unassumingly small temple is among the very few probably
which doesn’t have a money donation hundi. In fact, during my visit to the
temple, I have even heard announcements requesting devotees not to make any
cash donations. Rather, they were encouraged to buy-only if they wished to help
out-some very low cost religious publications from the temple.
Another specialty is its interesting history. There was a Balaji devotee
from Chilukuru who used to visit the hill temple at Tirupati every year without
fail. When he became old, he could no longer undertake the arduous pilgrimage
to Tirupati and was very sad about this.
It is said that Lord Balaji Himself appeared to his beloved devotee and
assured him that then on, He would come to the devotee’s place
Himself
to enable his ardent devotee to continue his worship of Balaji. Thus a small
idol of the Lord was discovered in the devotee’s place and was installed as the
presiding deity in Chilukuru temple.
Though small, the temple attracts quite a sizable crowd every day in
proportion to its size. Most go there hoping for some wish to be granted by
Lord Balaji. There is an unwritten system followed by many for this. They make
eleven Pradakshins (Circumambulations) of the Lord when making a wish.
Later, when the wish is granted, they are supposed to return and make
hundred and eight Pradakshins as a token of thanksgiving. The demand for this
vow is so high and the temple so small that some days it is quite difficult in
the jostling crowd to make the Pradakshins. Still it goes on with Spiritual
ardour due to the glory of Balaji.
Quite a few years back, I had the good fortune of being able to offer
this thanksgiving to Chilukuru Balaji.
Have you been there, dear friend? If so, kindly share your experiences.
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