Under CM Dr. Yadav’s Leadership, the Pilgrimage Tradition is Being Preserved: Minister Shri Lodhi

Minister of State for Culture, Tourism, and Religious Trusts & Endowments (Independent Charge) Shri Dharmendra Bhav Singh Lodhi announced that, under Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav’s leadership, Madhya Pradesh is making special efforts to promote religious and spiritual tourism. Alongside preserving and encouraging pilgrimage traditions, the state is implementing the “Mukhyamantri Teerth-Darshan Yojana” to benefit the elderly by enabling them to undertake pilgrimages. The scheme is not just a religious journey, but a significant effort to reinstate respect for elders within families and society.

The next phase of the scheme will run from November 13, 2025, to March 29, 2026. The first pilgrimage to Shri Tirupati Dham will depart from Jabalpur on November 13. Over 5 months, elderly citizens of the state will be offered pilgrimages to Tirupati, Rameshwaram, Kamakhya, Dwarka, Vaishno Devi, Jagannath Puri, and Ayodhya.

Minister Lodhi explained that groups of senior citizens from various districts will be sent to major religious sites across the country, with district collectors having been issued relevant directives by the Department of Religious Trusts & Endowments. The scheme is available to senior citizens aged 60 and above who are not income taxpayers. Women beneficiaries receive a two-year age relaxation. Applicants can submit forms at the tehsil, local body, Janpad office, or a location designated by the district collector.

The final selection of travelers will be made by the respective district collectors. If applications exceed the allotted quota for any district, a computerised lottery will be used for selection. For health and safety, doctors and security personnel will be deployed on the train. Arrangements will be made to transport travelers from districts without rail stations to boarding points.

Minister Lodhi urged all travelers to carry essentials according to weather conditions, including woolen clothing, blankets, sheets, towels, soap, and any necessary medicines.

IRCTC to Manage Pilgrimage

The scheme is being implemented by IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited), which will provide drinking water, meals, snacks, and tea during the journey. IRCTC will also arrange accommodation, transport passengers to and from pilgrimage sites via bus, and return them to the train. All travelers must carry their original Aadhaar or Voter IDs.

Minister Lodhi emphasized that the “Mukhyamantri Teerth-Darshan Yojana” grants a lifeline to senior citizens who wish to undertake pilgrimages but are unable to do so due to financial or health difficulties. The scheme respects religious faith and offers spiritual joy as well as social security to the elderly. He added that the state government is continuously upgrading infrastructure, beautifying pilgrimage sites, expanding sanitation facilities, and developing travel routes to preserve religious and cultural heritage and enhance spiritual tourism. These measures are making pilgrimages easier for devotees and strengthening religious tourism economically and socially.

Under Chief Minister Dr. Yadav’s leadership, such efforts to promote spiritual tourism will soon establish Madhya Pradesh as a leading state for spiritual tourism in the country.

Schedule of Pilgrimage Tours under Mukhyamantri Teerth-Darshan Yojana

(From November 2025 to March 2026)