Paperman Media। Bhubaneswar, 28 October
The sixth phase of the Mukhyamantri Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana for the financial year 2026–27 commenced today with the flagging off of a special train carrying 775 senior citizens to Varanasi and Ayodhya. Shri Prithviraj Harichandan, Minister of Law, Works and Excise, flagged off the train at Bhubaneswar New Railway Station. Organised by the Department of Tourism, Government of Odisha, in collaboration with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), the pilgrimage train is carrying 775 senior citizens accompanied by 25 officials to facilitate their journey and provide necessary assistance. The pilgrims are scheduled to return to Odisha on 2 November 2026 after visiting the two sacred destinations.
Addressing the gathering, Shri Harichandan extended his best wishes to all the pilgrims and expressed hope that their journey from the sacred lands of Lord Jagannath and Lord Lingaraj to Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi and Shri Ram Lalla in Ayodhya would be spiritually fulfilling. He noted that the pilgrimage would provide senior citizens with the opportunity to witness the Ganga Aarti, seek the blessings of Lord Kashi Vishwanath and offer prayers at the revered Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya. He also stated that the State Government has made comprehensive arrangements to ensure a safe, comfortable and well-organised pilgrimage for all participants.
The 775 pilgrims participating in this phase include 169 senior citizens from Khordha, 85 from Jagatsinghpur, 197 from Cuttack, 127 from Puri, 108 from Kendrapara and 89 from Dhenkanal. Twenty-five officials are accompanying the pilgrims to provide assistance and ensure their well-being throughout the journey. During the flag-off ceremony, railway tickets and kit bags were symbolically handed over to the pilgrims. Shri Babu Singh, MLA, Ekamra, and Shri Ashrit Pattanayak, MLA, Pipili, were present on the occasion and extended their best wishes to the senior citizens for a safe and successful pilgrimage.
Shri Bhupendra Singh Poonia, Commissioner-cum-Secretary in charge of the Department of Tourism; Shri Pratap Chandra Beura, Additional District Magistrate, Khordha; Shri R. Manoj Babu, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Khordha Road Division; and Shri Dipankar Mahapatra, Director of Tourism, also addressed the gathering.
The Mukhyamantri Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana is an important initiative of the Government of Odisha aimed at enabling senior citizens to undertake pilgrimages to prominent religious destinations across India. During the financial year 2026–27, approximately 8,000 senior citizens are scheduled to undertake pilgrimages in 10 phases to destinations including Ayodhya, Varanasi, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Rameswaram and Madurai. So far this financial year, approximately 4,000 senior citizens have visited various pilgrimage destinations under the scheme.
