The Maula Kali Cable car at Gaindakot in Nawalpur district of Gandaki province came into operation on Monday.

The 1.2-km line connects Gaindakot with Maula Kalika, a famous Hindu temple situated at an elevation of 561 metres.

Prime Minister Puspa Kamal Dahal inaugurated the cable car service.

“Maula Kali cable car will be significant for tourism promotion and job creation at the local level,” said Dahal. “The role of the private sector is vital in creating employment and increasing productivity.”

The Rs1.5 billion project has six towers and 12 gondolas, according to Suraj Paudel, manager at Maula Kali Cable Car.

The cable car service was brought into operation by the IME Group.

“It took around 19 months for the completion of the project," said Paudel.

The journey from the bottom to the top station will take around 5 minutes. The fare has been fixed at Rs550 per person for the round trip.

The visitors can have a view of the major places of Chitwan such as Madi, Narayangarh and Devghat from the top station.

A high-end hotel with a capacity of 60 rooms is under construction in the upper station of the cable car. “The hotel will come into operation by Dashain in October-end,” said Poudel.

Hindu devotees visit the temple in droves with the belief that worshipping at Maula Kalika will make their wishes come true.

Currently, four other cable car services–Manakamana, Chandragiri, Kalinchok and Annapurna–are in operation in Nepal.

The Lumbini Cable Car line, also being built by the IME Group, connecting Butwal on the edge of the Tarai plains with Basantapur in the scenic hills in the north climbs more than 700 metres in 2.5 km, is likely to come into operation later this month.