Bhubaneswar: Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida on Wednesday flagged off the first senior citizen pilgrimage train of the financial year 2026-27 from Bhubaneswar New Railway Station.
The special train is carrying 775 eligible pilgrims to Varanasi and Ayodhya under the Mukhyamantri Baristha Nagarik Teertha Yatra Yojana.
The train was flagged off at 11 am. The pilgrims will visit important religious destinations, including Kashi Vishwanath and Ayodhya. The pilgrimage will also provide them with an opportunity to witness the Ganga Aarti and visit the Ram Lalla temple.
Parida extended her wishes to the pilgrims for a safe and spiritually fulfilling journey. She said the pilgrimage from Odisha to Varanasi and Ayodhya would offer senior citizens a memorable religious and cultural experience.
She also highlighted the role of the scheme in enabling senior citizens from different districts to visit major pilgrimage destinations across the country. The initiative also helps them understand the cultural and spiritual significance of these places, she said.
The first phase of the pilgrimage includes senior citizens from six districts of Odisha.
Cuttack has the highest participation with 197 pilgrims, followed by Khordha with 169. Puri has sent 127 pilgrims, while Kendrapara has 108. Jagatsinghpur and Dhenkanal have 85 and 89 pilgrims, respectively.
Of the total 775 pilgrims, 333 are women, and 442 are men.
The government has also deployed 25 escort officers to accompany the pilgrims during the journey. The arrangements are aimed at ensuring their safety, comfort and well-being throughout the pilgrimage.
Industries, Skill Development and Technical Education Minister Sampad Chandra Swain and Kendrapara MLA Ganeshwar Behera also attended the flag-off event.
Both extended their greetings and wished the pilgrims a safe and successful journey. Railway tickets and kit bags were ceremonially distributed to the senior citizens.
Tourism Commissioner-cum-Secretary Balwant Singh, Khordha Collector Amrit Ruturaj, Additional DRM of Khurda Road Division Pradip Kumar Behera, IRCTC Regional Manager Anuj Dutta and Tourism Director Dipankar Mahapatra were among the officials present.
Under the Mukhyamantri Teertha Yatra Yojana, 8,000 senior citizens are scheduled to undertake pilgrimage journeys during 2026-27.
The journeys will be organised in 10 phases and will cover several major religious destinations.
The destinations under the programme include Ayodhya, Varanasi, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Rameswaram and Madurai.
