Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the Girnar ropeway project in Junagadh via video conferencing on Saturday. The ropeway is expected to become the catalyst of growth in tourism and related sectors in Saurashtra.
The 2.3 km Girnar ropeway, the longest to a temple in the world, has been developed by Usha Breco Limited at an investment of Rs. 130 crore.
While the Prime Minister inaugurated the ropeway from New Delhi, Chief Minister Shri Vijay Rupani, Deputy Chief Minister Shri Nitin Patel, senior ministers, and Usha Breco chairman Prashant Jhawar were present in Girnar to mark the occasion.
In his address on the occasion, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi said, “The world-class ropeway will make it convenient for more people to visit Girnar. Earlier, it used to take 5-7 hours to climb Girnar, but now it will take only 7-8 minutes. More devotees and tourists will visit Girnar. It will give a boost to adventure activities. I am also happy that the project will create more employment opportunities for local youths.”
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Shri Vijay Rupani said, “It is our good fortune that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the ropeway on the auspicious occasion of Navami. Senior citizens, children, women, and others who were not able to visit Girnar earlier will be able to do so in the world-class ropeway. I also take this opportunity to thank the doliwalas who have carried lakhs of people to the temples on Girnar in all these years.”
Commenting on the development, Apurv Jhawar, Managing Director, Usha Breco, said, “The inauguration of Girnar ropeway is a moment of pride for all of us. The ropeway will reduce the time to reach the temples on Girnar. It will make visiting Girnar convenient for lakhs of devotees, and also give a huge impetus to tourism in Saurashtra.”
Later, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and others travelled in the ropeway, and offered prayers at the Ambaji temple on Girnar.
Girnar ropeway is one of the most modern and sophisticated passenger ropeways in the country. The ropeway comprises 25 cabins, including one glass-floored cabin, each having the capacity to carry eight passengers at a time. The ropeway will ferry 800 people in an hour, and 8,000 in a day.
Usha Breco is the pioneer of passenger ropeways in the country. It operates ropeways at Maa Chandi Devi in Haridwar, Pavagadh, and Ambaji in Gujarat, Jatayupura and Malampuzha in Kerala, and Maa Tara Tarini in Odisha. These ropeways carry more than eight million people annually.
