Chief Minister M.K. Stalin will virtually inaugurate a rope car for Sri Lakshminarasimhar temple in Sholinghur town near Ranipet on Friday.
Officials of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) said basic facilities, including a waiting hall, safe storage space for the personal belongings of devotees, a ticketing counter, drinking water, washrooms, a parking lot and shops to sell puja items were ready at the foothills of the temple.
“Senior citizens and women will find it easy to reach the hillock temple by using the new facility. Additional staff will be deployed to help visitors to travel in the rope car,” said an HR&CE official.
Last month, along with Minister for Handlooms and Textiles R. Gandhi, the Minister for HR&CE P.K. Sekarbabu, inspected the operating room of the rope car and other basic facilities for visitors. Sanctioned way back in 2010, the rope car to the temple has been built at a cost of ₹8.26 crore, which included five-year maintenance by the Kolkata-based company that did the work.
A total of 16 persons can go up and 16 can come down at a time, with four persons per car. It will take three to four minutes to reach the 202 metre-high hill, which is otherwise covered by 1,305 steps. In an hour, on an average, around 400 persons can travel in the facility.
The temple, which has the idol of Sri Yoga Narasimhar at the hill top and Sri Bhakthochitha Perumal, the utsava idol, at the foothills, witnesses large crowds on the weekends and during the annual Brahmotsavam.
