RANIPET: Minister for Handlooms and Textiles R Gandhi flagged off the trial run of the rope car at Sri Lakshminarasimhar temple in Sholingur in Ranipet on Thursday. During the event, temple priests performed special poojas at 9.30 am.
Speaking to reporters at the facility, the Minister said, "The trial run began from Thursday and will be held in the coming days. Now, construction is in progress to provide basic amenities for devotees. It is expected to be completed in six months." After obtaining the certificate for the rope car and the completion of the work, we will invite Chief Minister MK Stalin to inaugurate both the facilities, Gandhi added.
The facility was built by a Kolkata-based firm Ropeway and Resorts Private Limited (RRPL) at a cost of`8.26 crore. With a total of eight cabins, four will go up and the remaining four will come down at a time. Each cabin can carry four persons.
The 750-feet-tall temple is one of the 108 divyadesams. Devotees have to walk up 1,305 steps to reach the shrine. With the rope car facility, they can go up the hill within five minutes. About 400 people can travel in an hour, a technical staff said.
During the trial run, the Minister travelled in the rope car from the foothills to the shrine atop the hill. He was accompanied by Collector D Baskara Pandian, Arakkonam MP S Jagathrakshakan, donors, and the temple priest.