Take Advantage of the Pilgrimage Scheme and Visit Sacred Sites!

India is a diverse country with many famous pilgrimage sites, not only within Maharashtra but across other states as well. Many senior citizens in the country, including those in Maharashtra, dream of visiting these holy places at least once in their lifetime. However, often due to financial difficulties, lack of companionship, or insufficient information, citizens from poor or ordinary families are unable to make these trips. But now, there’s no need for senior citizens to worry. Some may not be able to fulfill their desire to visit pilgrimage sites due to financial or physical constraints. Keeping this in mind, the state government has launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Tirthadarshan Yojana’ for senior citizens of all religions in Maharashtra who are 60 years and above.

The scheme covers important pilgrimage sites in Hinduism, such as the Chardham Yatra, Mata Vaishnodevi Yatra, and Amarnath Yatra, among others. In total, 73 pilgrimage sites across India and 66 within Maharashtra have been included in the “Mukhyamantri Tirthadarshan Yojana,” offering free travel to these significant religious locations. Almost all major pilgrimage sites in the country and state are part of this scheme.

The Motivation Behind the Scheme

Many elderly citizens from common families across all religions in the state are unable to fulfill their pilgrimage dreams due to financial constraints, lack of companionship, or inadequate information. To address this, the ‘Mukhyamantri Tirthadarshan Yojana’ has been launched to provide senior citizens the opportunity to visit and receive darshan at major pilgrimage sites across the state and the country free of charge.

Which Sites Are Included in the Scheme?

The scheme includes a total of 73 pilgrimage sites in India and 66 in Maharashtra. Some of the key sites covered are Siddhivinayak, Chaityabhoomi, and Mount Mary Church in Mumbai. Other notable pilgrimage sites include the Vaishno Devi Temple, Amarnath Cave, Golden Temple in Amritsar, Shri Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Somnath Temple in Veraval, and Jagannath Puri in Odisha. Additionally, religious sites in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Odisha, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, and Karnataka are also included. Furthermore, 15 religious sites in Mumbai are part of this list. Eligible individuals can avail of this scheme only once, for a pilgrimage to one of the designated sites under this scheme.

The maximum travel expense covered per person under this scheme is 30,000 rupees, which includes all aspects of the actual travel, food, accommodation, and more.

Eligibility Criteria for the Scheme

• The beneficiary must be a resident of Maharashtra.
• The beneficiary must be a senior citizen aged 60 years or above.
• The annual income of the beneficiary’s family must be less than 2.5 lakhs.

Who Is Ineligible for the Scheme?

• Family members who are income tax payers are ineligible.
• Those working as regular or permanent employees in a Government Department/Undertaking/Board/Government of India, or a local body of a State Government, or those drawing a pension after retirement, are not eligible for this scheme. However, outsourced employees, voluntary workers, and contract workers with an income of up to 2.5 lakh rupees are eligible.
• Family members who are current or former MPs/MLAs, or those who hold positions such as Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Director, or Member of a Board, Corporation, or Undertaking of the Government of India or a State Government, are ineligible.
• Families that own four-wheelers (excluding tractors) are also ineligible.
• The beneficiary must be physically and mentally fit for travel and must not suffer from any communicable diseases such as TB, heart-related respiratory diseases, COVID-19, thrombosis, mental illness, infectious leprosy, etc.
• Along with the application, senior citizens must submit a health certificate confirming they are physically fit for the proposed journey. This certificate must be issued by a government medical officer and should not be older than 15 days from the date of travel.
• Applicants who were selected in previous years’ lotteries but did not complete the journey despite being invited to travel will also be ineligible.