775 Senior Citizens from Six Districts of Odisha Undertake Pilgrimage
Bhubaneswar, Sept 2026: The first senior citizen pilgrimage train of the financial year 2026–27, carrying 775 eligible pilgrims from Odisha to Varanasi and Ayodhya under the Mukhyamantri Baristha Nagarik Teertha Yatra Yojana, was flagged off today at 11:00 AM from Bhubaneswar New Railway Station (Patia) by the Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Women & Child Development, Mission Shakti and Tourism, Smt. Pravati Parida.
Flagging off the special train, Smt. Pravati Parida extended her best wishes for a safe and spiritually fulfilling journey, saying that the pilgrimage from the sacred land of Lord Lingaraj to Kashi Vishwanath and Ayodhya would be a memorable experience for the senior citizens. She said the pilgrims would have the opportunity to witness the Ganga Aarti, seek the blessings of Lord Kashi Vishwanath and experience the divine presence of Shri Ram Lalla.
The Deputy Chief Minister further highlighted that the pilgrimage initiative enables senior citizens from different districts of Odisha to visit important pilgrimage destinations across the country and gain an understanding of their rich cultural and spiritual significance.
The first phase of the pilgrimage comprises senior citizens from six districts—Khordha, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Puri, Kendrapara and Dhenkanal. The district-wise participation includes 169 pilgrims from Khordha, 85 from Jagatsinghpur, 197 from Cuttack, 127 from Puri, 108 from Kendrapara and 89 from Dhenkanal.
Of the 775 pilgrims undertaking the journey, 333 are women and 442 are men. To ensure the safety, comfort and well-being of the pilgrims throughout the journey, 25 escort officers have also accompanied them.
Addressing the pilgrims on the occasion, Hon’ble Minister for Industries, Skill Development & Technical Education Shri Sampad Chandra Swain and Shri Ganeshwar Behera, MLA, Kendrapara, extended their greetings and best wishes for a safe and successful pilgrimage. Railway tickets and kit bags were also ceremonially distributed to the pilgrims.
Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Tourism Department, Shri Balwant Singh; Khordha Collector Shri Amrit Ruturaj; Additional DRM, Khurda Road Division, Shri Pradip Kumar Behera; Regional Manager, IRCTC, Shri Anuj Dutta; and Director, Tourism Department, Shri Dipankar Mahapatra, among other senior officials, were present on the occasion and addressed the gathering.
It is noteworthy that, under the Mukhyamantri Teertha Yatra Yojana, a total of 8,000 senior citizens will undertake pilgrimage journeys in 10 phases during 2026–27. The destinations covered under the programme include Ayodhya, Varanasi, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Rameswaram and Madurai.
