Temple Trust Runs Deep, Even After Deportations

Some people still take their passports to temples. They pay a token fee and pray to gods to bless their U.S. visa.

There’s this Hanuman temple in Ahmedabad, which is called the “visa temple.” The priests here offer prayers to help people get their visa stamped—especially for the U.S.

But what’s strange is that this happens even when news reports feature stories of Indians being deported from America in chains, like criminals.

Despite that, the faith holds strong. Some think it’s not interviews or paperwork only—another thing decides who passes and who doesn’t.

It’s not religion alone. It’s a mix of helplessness, faith, and the quiet hope that gods might listen when systems don’t.

The obsession to get to the U.S. remains profound. Even when stories of suffering, exploitation, and disillusionment return home, the dream doesn’t die.

There is something heartbreaking about holding on to ritual when the game is hardly fair. No temple can promise dignity abroad if policy does not allow it.

However, for many, it appears that doing something—no matter how little—is better than doing nothing. After all, when hope is all that is left, even a ₹150 prayer is worth it.