The rope car service at the Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple in Palani was suspended on Tuesday after a sudden fault developed in its gearbox.
The rope car service is operated daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. to help devotees visiting the hill temple reach the shrine conveniently. Routine maintenance is carried out for one day every month, while annual maintenance work is usually undertaken for 45 days.
However, this year, maintenance work lasted for around 64 days, longer than usual, as new cable ropes, shafts, gearboxes and cabins were replaced. The service was reopened to devotees on September 22 after a detailed inspection by a team from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT).
Barely a month after operations resumed, a fault was detected in the gearbox while the rope car was being operated on Tuesday morning. The service was immediately suspended.
In a statement, the temple administration said arrangements were being made to send the defective gearbox to the concerned repair agency. The service would be restored once the fault was rectified, it added.
With the rope car service suspended, devotees have been advised to use the steps leading to the hill temple or the winch service as alternative means of transport.
