Officials of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE), which maintains the temple and the rope car facility, said the services were suspended on August 19 for annual maintenance. Since then, devotees, including women and senior citizens, have had to climb over 1,000 steps to reach the temple atop the hillock. “As the temple will witness a huge rush on Vinayagar Chaturthi (September 14) and other festive days, resumption of rope car services will be helpful for devotees,” said an HR&CE official.
Originally sanctioned in 2010, the rope car facility was built in 2024 at a cost of ₹8.26 crore by a Kolkata-based company, with five years of maintenance included in the contract. “The rope car facility helps senior citizens to reach the temple safely. Better facilities at the waiting hall at the foothills should be created,” said R. Sampath, a devotee.
A total of 16 people can go up, and 16 can come down at a time, with four people per car. It will take three to four minutes to reach the 202-metre-high hill, which can also be reached by climbing 1,305 steps. On an average, around 400 people can travel in the facility per hour.
The temple, which houses the idol of Sri Yoga Narasimhar at the hilltop and Sri Bhakthochitha Perumal, the utsava idol, at the foothills, witnesses large crowds on the weekends and during the annual Brahmotsavam.
