New Ropeway to Enhance Access to Himachal’s Historic Chintpurni Temple
In a significant development aimed at promoting religious tourism in Himachal Pradesh, plans are underway to construct a 1.1-kilometer-long ropeway to provide easy access to the revered Mata Chintpurni Temple in Una district. The estimated cost of this project is INR 76.50 crore, and it forms part of the state government’s broader initiative to connect various religious shrines with ropeways, thereby improving accessibility and enhancing the existing infrastructure.
The Mata Chintpurni Temple holds immense historical and spiritual significance as one of the Shakti Peethas, making it a prime candidate for this development. The proposed ropeway system is expected to efficiently transport 700 passengers per hour in each direction, according to officials.
Currently, access to the temple is limited to a single-lane road from the Baba Mai Dass Bhawan parking area. This arrangement has led to issues of overcrowding and congestion, particularly during religious events such as Navratri.
The introduction of the ropeway is a significant step forward in addressing these challenges. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has expressed the ambition to attract five crore tourists annually, with religious tourism playing a central role in achieving this goal.
In another development related to the Mata Chintpurni Temple, the Chintpurni Temple Trust has introduced an online prasad ordering service for devotees. Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri inaugurated this service, emphasizing the government’s continuous efforts to enhance the experience for those who visit the divine court of Maa Chintpurni.
The state government has prioritized the promotion of religious tourism and operates a fleet of transport corporation buses to facilitate travel to various religious sites. Additionally, a 3-D darshan facility has been made available to devotees, and the Sugam Darshan scheme, a successful initiative, has garnered over INR 1 crore in contributions from devotees visiting the Chintpurni Temple.
