Battery cars for Ramnad Temple soon

CHENNAI: Planning a pilgrimage to Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram? Here is good news. The tourism department will soon introduce battery operated cars in the temple town.Six eco-friendly vehicles would ply on the four Car Streets around the temple, paving the way for a hassle-free darshan.“The car service is expected soon,” a senior official with Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation told Express. “The facility is part of a mega tourism project, being executed in Madurai, Kanyakumari and Rameswaram in South Tamil Nadu,” the official added.A few years ago, the tourism department had launched battery operated cars on the four streets of Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple in Madurai. For this, interlock tiles were used for the floors and vehicular traffic on the streets restricted. In a similar move, interlock tiles would be used on the four Car Streets around the Ramanathaswamy temple also. Traffic movement on these streets is likely to be banned to avoid congestion near the temple.According to available statistics, 6.20 lakh people visited Rameswaram last year -- a jump of 60,000 from the previous year. “We receive more tourists from Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh,” said a local tourism officer.