The Supreme Court has agreed to a proposal pertaining to the construction of a ropeway connecting Tirupati to the abode of Lord Venkateswara on the Tirumala hills. With this directive, lakhs of pilgrims will have an easy and quicker option to cover the nine km distance from Tirupati to reach the shrine of Lord Balaji. Acting on the recommendations of the apex court-appointed central empowered committee, the Bench, presided by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, gave its approval.

With the clearance in place, not just thousands of pilgrims, who otherwise have to trek 3,661 steps up to the temple, but also tonnes of raw material for prasadam will be able to reach the shrine quickly.

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), which manages the temple, had sought a clearance for the project from the court. The Bench, also comprising Justices Arijit Pasayat and S H Kapadia, asked the committee to consider the plea.

The TTD had suggested construction of the ropeway at a level lower than that of the shrine. As per the initial survey, the ropeway was to be at a height of 921 feet, while the temple is located at a height of 857 feet.

The Rs 300 crore project is to be implemented with Austrian technology and is expected to be completed within 18 months. The length of the ropeway will be 7 km. Pilgrims will have to travel 1 km by road to the temple from the point where the ropeway will end. The cost of the project, estimated at Rs 300 crore, will be borne by the TTD. Four lakh pilgrims would be ferried up and down in a day once the project is implemented, which will create a record of its sorts. Also, travel time will be reduced to 18 minutes.