Sholinghur: Residents seek better roads, want govt. to set up godowns to store sugarcane crop

For residents of Sholinghur Assembly constituency in Ranipet district, life always revolves around Sri Lakshminarasimhar temple, a pilgrim centre for Vaishnavites, located atop a hillock on the outskirts of the town.

Braving hot weather, devotees, young and old, come from faraway places to worship at the temple throughout the day. They had to climb 1,305 steps to reach the sannidhis of Lord Narasimhar and Amrutha Valli Thayar until 2024, when Chief Minister M.K. Stalin inaugurated a rope car facility in March that year.

The ₹8.26 crore facility provides easy access to the hillock temple, especially for women and senior citizens. Devotees can also use staircases to reach the temple. “The waiting time to board a rope car at the foothills of the temple is time-consuming, as devotees, including old people, have to stay for long hours in the waiting room. It’s an ordeal for devotees, who come from faraway places,” said K. Arunachalam, treasurer, Sholinghur All Traders Association.

Locals and devotees from outside the town stressed the need to improve civic amenities and infrastructure facilities at the ancient temple. Built by Parankucha Chola in the 3rd Century AD, the temple’s east-facing deity, Yoga Narasimha, sits on yoga (meditation) posture.

Every day, on an average, over 1,000 visitors are allowed to use the facility between 8.30 a.m. and 5 p.m., while other devotees climb to reach the temple. “Affordable government accommodation for devotees in Sholinghur town remains a key demand because an increase in visitor flow will also help to boost the local economy. Currently, devotees have to depend on private lodges that are poorly maintained,” said S. Anbarasu, 17th ward councillor, Sholinghur municipality.

Away from the town and its temple, the constituency also encompasses at least 60 farming villages where sugarcane is the main crop. Other crops like paddy and groundnuts are equally cultivated in the arid region.

Farmers said that the State government should build a common government godown to store loads of sugarcane, before they are transported to surrounding districts and States like Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. Currently, such large godowns are available in Vellore and Tiruvannamalai. “Additional paddy procurement centres should be created in the constituency, as many farmers have to go to neighbouring Nemili town to store paddy at government centres. It increases the overall transport cost for farmers,” said K. Sukumar, a farmer.

Entry of sugarcane-laden trucks and lorries remains a long-standing irritant in Sholinghur and surrounding villages, as it results in regular accidents. Sholinghur town is a key route for these vehicles, which carry loads of raw sugarcane from villages to crushing units in Vellore, Tiruttani, Arani, Vandavasi and Cheyyar.

As a result, traffic gets hit for hours as trucks and lorries get stuck on the narrow carriageways, affecting vehicular movement. Local traffic police introduced a one-way traffic system for trucks and lorries three years ago, but the initiative had little impact in easing traffic flow in the temple town.

Residents said that work on the proposed ₹50 crore Bypass Road, which will connect Putheri and Kalpattu villages on the outskirts of Sholinghur town, should be commenced without further delay. The new stretch will prevent lorries from entering the town. 

The political landscape of Sholinghur has largely favoured the Indian National Congress (INC) since Independence. The national party has won the constituency six times since the first poll was held in 1952. The incumbent A.M. Munirathinam of the Congress has won four times in the Assembly seat. He won three consecutive terms in 1989, 1991 and 1996. Except in 1996, when he won as candidate of Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC), he has contested as a Congress candidate in other three polls. 

While the AIADMK-led NDA alliance has fielded advocate K. Saravanan of the PMK, an alliance partner, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has nominated G. Kapil as its candidate for the constituency. The Congress, which is a part of the DMK alliance, is yet to finalise its candidate. Residents hope that the winning candidate will fulfil their aspirations for the constituency. 

Published – April 03, 2026 12:47 am IST