Famous Temples in India with Ropeway Facility

[Keira Rose]

Indians are a religious lot! We love our temples and myriad rituals. Temple visits are a big part of tourism in this country. Lots of people travel all across the landscape for praying to revered gods and goddesses.

To encourage more numbers of visitors, many temple sites are connected by an aerial ropeway or cable car system. This serves two purposes. Firstly, the temples which are located on a high altitude become easier to access for the devotees. And secondly, the additional aspect of a ropeway ride lures many tourists to these holy sites. In a way, ropeways help to promote religious tourism.

Some of the most famous Indian temples connected to a ropeway or cable car are as follows:

Naina Devi Temple, Bilaspur

Located in the Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh, the Naina Devi Temple is believed to be a Shakti Peeth. Legend says that when Lord Vishnu cut down Goddess Sati’s corpse to stop Shiva’s destruction dance, Sati’s eyes had fallen down at the site of this temple. The Naina Devi temple complex is built at an elevation of 1177 meters and visitors have to undertake a difficult climb to reach till the top. Damodar Ropeways & Infra Limited [DRIL], one of the oldest ropeway construction companies in India, has built a ropeway facility that takes devotees up to the hill top. This makes the journey easier for the physically challenged and elderly visitors. The topmost station is built on a towering height, making the DRIL ropeway ride a fascinating experience. Tourists can enjoy majestic views of the surrounding mountainous terrains and the Gobind Sagar Lake during the ride.

Mansa Devi Temple, Haridwar

Situated atop the Bilwa Parvat amidst the Shivalik Hills, the Mansa Devi Temple is a must-visit temple in Haridwar. Mansa Devi is a form of Shakti and is said to have emerged from the mind of the Lord Shiva. Devotees believe that praying sincerely to Mansa Devi has the power to fulfill all their wishes and desires. The only way to reach this temple is by trekking or taking a ropeway ride. Visitors can enjoy the picturesque view of the mighty Ganga River and the whole city of Haridwar while taking this ropeway ride.

Chandi Devi Temple, Haridwar

The Maa Chandi Devi Temple is another top attraction in Haridwar. The temple is built at an elevation of 2900 meters on top of the Neel Parvat amidst the Shivalik Hills. Chandi Devi or Chandika is said to be a form of Goddess Parvati. There is a ropeway that takes devotees directly in front of the temple, thereby saving them the trouble of climbing the steep trekking route. There is a dense forest on the other side of the hill and the ropeway ride offers scenic views of the Ganges River and Haridwar.

Sharda Mata Temple, Maihar

The Sharada Devi Temple in Maihar is built atop the Trikuta Hill in Madhya Pradesh. This is a Shakti Peeth where the necklace of Goddess Sati is said to have fallen. Devotees need to undertake a steep climb of almost 1000 steps to reach the temple. DRIL, one of the top ropeway companies in India, runs a ropeway facility up to the main gate of the temple complex within a few minutes. This gives easy access to the physically disabled and elderly devotees.

Trikut Pahar, Deoghar

Deoghar in Jharkhand is the land of the much-revered Baba Baidyanath Dham Temple, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. Located 10 km away from the Baidyanath Temple is the Trikut Pahar. Named after the three main peaks on the hill, it is also known as Trikutachal. The three peaks stand for the holy trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. DRIL runs a ropeway facility to the highest peak here at a height of 2470 feet from the sea level. Tourists can visit the Trikutachal Mahadeva Temple and the hermitage of Sage Dayananda at the top of the hill. They can also enjoy a breathtaking 360 degree view of the entire Deoghar city from here.

Savitri Mata Temple, Pushkar

Pushkar in Rajasthan is most famous for the Jagatpita Brahma Temple, the only temple dedicated to Lord Brahma in the world. Located at the top of Ratnagiri Hill in Pushkar is the Savitri Mata Temple, dedicated to the first wife of Brahma, Goidess Savitiri. Tourists need have to take a strenuous climb of more than 1100 steps to reach this temple. A ropeway built by Damodar Ropeways & Infra Limited (DRIL) covers this distance of 720 meters in less than 6 minutes. From the top, you can enjoy beautiful views of Pushkar and its stunning scenery of the Aravalli Hills.