Rope car in Sholingur, Ayyarmalai

The projects here would be closed model based on the fixed mono cable system currently in vogue at the ancient Sri Dhandayuthapani Swamy temple, Palani. “Four cabins with a carrying capacity of four persons each, transports 16 pilgrims in less than two minutes from the foot of the hill to the Sri Dhandayuthapani Swamy temple, while equal number is ferried down,” a temple official said.

The cable car with a carrying capacity of about 850 to 1,500 pilgrims per hour covers nearly 350 feet Palani hill in less than two minutes’ time. As this temple receives lakhs of pilgrims by the day nearly seven lakhs during Thaipoosam or Panguni Uthiram, it has been planned to install a second cable car for Palani at a cost of Rs 4 crore. A majority of pilgrims still prefer to climb the steeps despite the rope car facility.

At the Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple, the ropeway would be installed at a cost of Rs 9.3 crore to transport about 400 persons per hour. The hill on which the abode of Lord Yoga Narasimha Swami is situated, is of 750 feet height with a total of 1,305 steps. A similar passenger ropeway with a carrying capacity of 200 persons per hour would be established soon at the Sri Rathinagiriswarar temple, Ayyarmalai, Kulithalai taluk in Karur district, at a cost of Rs 6 crore.