KARUR: Putting years-long wait to an end, Chief Minister MK Stalin via videoconferencing on Wednesday inaugurated the rope car facility set up at a cost of Rs 9.10 crore for the convenience of devotees visiting the Rathinagireeswarar temple located atop a hillock of Ayyarmalai in Kulithalai taluk of the district.
As the temple is located at a height of 1,175 feet, the HR&CE department, which administers it, took steps to establish the rope car to facilitate easier access.
Awarding the contract to a private company, work on the facility commenced in February 2017. While the middle of 2018 was set as the deadline, the project dragged on for various reasons, authorities said. After the DMK government assumed power, HR&CE Minister PK Sekarbabu visited the temple in May 2022 and issued instructions to expedite work on the rope car facility.
Collector M Thangavel, MLAs R Manickam (Kulithalai) and K Sivakamasundar (Krishnarayapuram), and temple’s HR&CE Joint Commissioner Kumaradurai participated in the inauguration event.