Uttarakhand
Ropeway from Tapovan to Kunjapuri Temple
- 30 May 2025
- 3 min read
Why in News?
The Uttarakhand government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a Swiss ropeway manufacturer for the development of a ropeway project from Tapovan to Kunjapuri Devi Temple.
Key Points
- About the Project:
- The ropeway will link Tapovan in Rishikesh with the Kunjapuri Temple in Narendranagar, a key spiritual site.
- The objective is to reduce travel time, enhance visitor safety, and minimize environmental degradation caused by vehicular traffic.
Kunjapuri Temple
- Location: It is located near Rishikesh in the Tehri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, situated at an altitude of 1,676 meters above sea level on a hilltop.
- Significance:
- The temple is dedicated to Goddess Durga and is one of the 13 Shakti Peethas in the Shivalik range.
- It is also one of the three major Shakti Peethas in Tehri district, along with Surkanda Devi and Chandrabadni, forming a sacred triangle established by Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya.
- It is renowned not only for its spiritual significance but also for its panoramic views of the Garhwal Himalayas, including peaks such as Swargarohini, Gangotri, Banderpunch, and Chaukhamba.
- From the summit, visitors can also see the Bhagirathi valley and cities like Rishikesh, Haridwar, and the Doon Valley.
Parvatmala
- National Ropeways Development Programme (Parvatmala): It was launched to improve transport connectivity in mountainous regions such as Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, and the North-East.
- The Parvatmala scheme aims to build modern, eco-friendly ropeway systems strengthening remote and border villages.
- Key Projects Approved in Uttarakhand:
- Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib Ropeway.
- Sonprayag to Kedarnath Ropeway.
- NOTE: Both projects follow a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model under Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Transfer (DBFOT).
- Advantages of Ropeways:
- Efficient and safe alternative to difficult mountain roads.
- Faster travel by bypassing terrain obstacles.
- Environmentally friendly with minimal land use and emissions.
- Economical with lower maintenance and labor costs.
- Supports last-mile connectivity and mass passenger transit.
