Indians have turned to praying to a “visa god” in a bid to skirt Donald Trump’s latest crackdown on foreign workers.
The Chamatkari Hanuman Temple in Ahmedabad has seen crowds of prospective migrants bringing their passports to pray to a statue of Hindu monkey god Hanuman.
Across the world’s largest country by population, temples are seeing more and more appeals to gods linked to prosperity and beneficence.
A new report in The Times detailed how worshippers arrive with passports, visa application forms and university admission letters.
PICTURED: Footage from social media shows prospective visa-holders heading to temples to pray to Hanuman
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In Punjab, would-be emigrants offer up miniature aeroplanes to symbolise their flights.
In Delhi, others were seen pledging to give up meat, alcohol, garlic and onions to secure the god’s favour.
But last week, the temples were full as President Trump declared that he would charge US firms $100,000 (£75,000) for every H-1B visa given to a foreign worker.
“So many people come here praying for H-1B visas,” Vijaybhai Bhatt, the priest at Chamatkari Hanuman Temple, said.
“Devotees from across Gujarat come here to seek blessings, especially for visa approvals to countries like the US, UK, and Canada.”
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He added that Tuesdays and Saturdays were particularly busy because “on those days, Hanuman is believed to listen more auspiciously to his devotees”.
Mr Trump’s new “America first” drive is meant to push more companies to hire Americans instead of opting for cheaper foreign labour.
But fury has broken out in India and among Indian-heavy American companies which have seen fierce accusations of clientelism around their foreign hiring practices.
“We don’t know on whom the $100,000 fee is going to be imposed and who is not going to get that fee,” H-1B hopeful Vinay fumed to local media. “The fee structure is unclear.”
Right now, there are believed to be some 730,000 H-1B visa holders in the US.
More than 70 per cent of those are Indians, with Chinese workers in second place at just 11.7 per cent.
In statistics comparable to the UK’s own controversial dependant visas, an extra 500,000 people are in America on H-4 visas – which let spouses and unmarried children under 21 to accompany H-1B visa-holders.
And it’s not just the US.
One student, Jatin, travelled for four hours to thank Hanuman for helping to fast-track his visa to Britain.
He will now study digital marketing at Ravensbourne University in London.
“After I came here to the temple I took sankalp [resolution] and the priority visa, which usually takes 15-20 days to arrive, was in my hands within three,” he revealed.
