Sabarimala Ropeway Revival: Long-Delayed Project Could Connect Pampa and Sannidhanam in 20 Minutes
Thiruvananthapuram: The long-pending Sabarimala ropeway project, which has remained on the drawing board for nearly 15 years, has once again gained momentum following a recent meeting between Kerala Minister P.K. Basheer and Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari. According to Basheer, Gadkari has given in-principle approval for the proposed ropeway projects at Sabarimala, Munnar, and Wayanad.
If implemented, the Sabarimala ropeway would enable devotees and essential goods to reach Sannidhanam from Pampa in just 20 minutes, significantly reducing travel time on the steep hill route.
The proposal first gained serious attention during the tenure of the Oommen Chandy government. In 2015, responding to a question raised in the Kerala Legislative Assembly by MLA Raju Abraham, then Devaswom Minister V.S. Sivakumar said the primary objective of the ropeway was to provide a permanent transport system for carrying materials required for temple rituals, prasadam preparation, and construction activities at Sabarimala.
A feasibility study was prepared by SAM Rights Limited, and an agreement for implementing the project based on the study's recommendations was signed. The High Power Committee had approved the construction of the ropeway on February 17, 2012, while the implementation agreement with Damodar Ropeways & Infra Ltd., Kolkata, was signed on April 28, 2015.
The minister had informed the Assembly that the project would require an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and environmental clearance before construction could begin. At the time, it was estimated that the project would take at least four years to complete. However, more than a decade has passed without the project moving forward.
For pilgrims, one of the biggest attractions of the ropeway is the possibility of reducing dependence on the expensive pallakku (palanquin) service used by elderly and physically challenged devotees to reach Sannidhanam. However, the project faces a major challenge, as the Forest Department has been reluctant to permit a passenger transport system through protected forest land.
At the same time, transporting goods through the ropeway has generally not faced the same level of objection. The system could also be used to evacuate patients requiring emergency medical treatment, providing much-needed relief for devotees who develop health complications during the pilgrimage.
As part of the project, 4.53 hectares of land have been identified by the Revenue Department for compensatory afforestation to offset the forest land involved. The land, located in Kulathupuzha village of Punalur taluk in Kollam district (Survey No. 976/1), will be transferred to the Forest Department, where compensatory afforestation will be carried out. In 2024, then Devaswom Minister V.N. Vasavan stated that all procedures for handing over the land had been completed.
Under the current proposal, the ropeway would run from the hilltop near the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) station at Pampa to the area behind the police barracks at Sannidhanam. Although several alternative alignments have been suggested over the years, the KSEB–Police Barracks route has received the widest support. The land identified at Sannidhanam belongs to the temple authorities, and officials say no trees would need to be cut along this alignment.
According to the project plan, the ropeway would have a total length of 2,706.42 metres and require the construction of 19 towers. It would use 34-mm diameter steel cables capable of carrying a total load of 50 tonnes per hour. The cable cars would travel at a speed of 3 metres per second, taking approximately 20 minutes to reach Sannidhanam. Each cabin would be capable of carrying up to 500 kilograms of passengers or cargo.