The Balaji temple in Chilkur village located on the periphery of Hyderabad is believed to bless those with the big American dreams. Over the years, young working professionals as well as fresh graduates have been seen in hordes making their way into the temple sincerely wishing for a US visa. A large number of those whose prayers were answered would come back to thank the deity and circumambulate the holy structure.
The trend became so popular that even global media outlets published special features on the temple. Surprisingly, on Tuesday the temple had a visitor who had somewhat already realised not just an American, but a Hollywood dream.
Priyanka Chopra, who is in Hyderabad, tagged the temple and posted photos of the visit on her Instagram account along with the caption, “With the blessings of Shri Balaji a new chapter begins. May we all find peace in our hearts and prosperity and abundance all around us. God's grace is infinite.”
Speculations are rife that she would be starring in the upcoming movie helmed by star director, SS Rajamouli and she is in the city for talks related to the project.
The film, with Mahesh Babu in the lead, was launched in the first week of January. Not much is known about the movie which is still in the pre-production stage but given the pace of Rajamouli, the movie is likely to be released only after 2026.
The Chilkur Balaji temple is not new to global icons or movie celebrities. It was the venue for the wedding of sitar maestro Pandit Ravishankar to Sukanya Devi in the late 1980s. Priyanka Chopra uploaded a video and photos with the chief priest of the temple, Rangarajan, whose family are the custodians of the temple. Rangarajan, a biomedical engineer, is renowned for taking up unique social initiatives to help spread positive messages in society.