COIMBATORE: Devotees visiting the Maruthamalai Temple in Coimbatore expressed their concerns over the inadequate bus services on the hill road, which are operated by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department (HR&CE). On Sunday, many devotees alleged to have waited for over an hour to catch a bus to reach the foothills and temple and urged the department to provide additional buses during peak festival days and weekends.
The HR&CE manages the Arulmigu Subramaniaswamy Temple at Maruthamalai, an important temple site due to its high footfall. Currently, the department operates three buses along the 2.7km hill road to facilitate transportation between the temple and the foothills.
On Sunday, the temple administration arranged for two extra private vehicles to help manage the crowd. Despite this, tensions arose as many devotees waited for over an hour for bus service at both the foothills and the temple. A devotee shared a video on social media, noting that he took a bus ticket at 11.36 am but did not see any buses until 12.15 pm. Many families with children and elderly people were left waiting for extended periods to reach the temple.
When asked about the situation, R Senthil Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of HRCE and Executive Officer of the temple, acknowledged the challenges of crows management.
"We are making every effort to manage the crowd, but delays during peak hours on weekends are unavoidable. Typically, more devotees visit the temple on festival days and weekends, particularly during the pooja hours from 11.30 am to 12.30 pm. We currently have three buses and have hired two private buses to assist. Our buses can accommodate 45 to 48 passengers each, while the private buses can hold 25 to 28 passengers. Additionally, we have ordered three more buses for the temple, which will be operational within a month." He said.
