An Uphill Journey to the 'Mini Maihar'
On a tall, tree-covered hill in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district stands a marble temple dedicated to Maa Vindhyavasini. Locals call the spot Tikitoriya, and the shrine has become such a strong centre of faith across the region that devotees lovingly refer to it as 'Mini Maihar'. Hundreds of worshippers make their way here every single day — a fact reflected in the 40-plus prasad and snack stalls that operate permanently within the temple grounds.
Yet reaching the shrine has never been easy. Pilgrims have to climb more than 300 steps to get to the temple complex. The young manage it, but for the sick and the elderly the ascent is a real ordeal. The longing for darshan stays in their hearts, but the sheer number of steps often leaves them unable to summon the courage to attempt the climb.
A 17 Crore 28 Lakh Project — Bundelkhand's First Ropeway
To make sure every visitor to this pilgrimage site can fulfil the wish of having darshan, a ropeway is now being built here at a total cost of 17 crore 28 lakh rupees. What makes it special is that this will be the very first ropeway in Bundelkhand. Construction has been under way for about 3 months, and it is expected that the project will be completed and put into service in the new year of 2027.
Funicular Technology — Trolleys That Run on a Track, Not in the Air
The ropeway is being constructed using international funicular technology. The key feature of this system is that it uses two trolleys to carry devotees up and down — as one heads upward, the other simultaneously comes down. Unlike a conventional ropeway, these trolleys do not hang in the air; instead, they move up and down along a track much like a train. This design saves electricity and reduces the chance of an accident to almost nil.
The ropeway will have a total length of 250 metres. At present, climbing the steps to reach the temple takes devotees roughly 15 to 30 minutes, but once the ropeway is ready, the same journey will be covered in just two to three minutes — and, crucially, without any exhaustion.
Stalled Two and a Half Years Ago, Now Moving Fast
Work on this ropeway actually began nearly two and a half years ago, but for some reason the project got stuck midway. Over the past two to three months it has resumed and is now progressing at a rapid pace. According to officials, what would ordinarily be an 18-month job is expected to be wrapped up in just one year.
A Sacred Site Going Back 250 Years
The history of this revered shrine is just as striking. It was built around two hundred and fifty years ago by Rani Lakshmibai Kher of Sagar during the Maratha era, and back then it stood only on the hill. Over the last 30 to 40 years, after a committee was formed, a steady stream of development work has been carried out here, improving facilities so that devotees can have darshan and perform their prayers in comfort. As part of these efforts, Bundelkhand's first ropeway is being built on the initiative of local MLA Gopal Bhargav, with assistance from the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
