Bhubaneswar: A special train carrying 775 senior citizens from Odisha to Varanasi and Ayodhya was flagged off from Bhubaneswar New Railway Station on Wednesday under the sixth phase of the Mukhyamantri Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana for 2026–27.
Odisha Law, Works and Excise Minister Prithviraj Harichandan flagged off the pilgrimage train, which is carrying 25 officials to assist the elderly passengers throughout their journey. Organised by the Department of Tourism in collaboration with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation, the pilgrimage is scheduled to conclude with the pilgrims’ return to Odisha on November 2.
The journey will provide the senior citizens with an opportunity to visit two of the country’s prominent religious destinations, including the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi and the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya. The itinerary also includes witnessing the Ganga Aarti.
Addressing the gathering at the flag-off ceremony, Harichandan wished the pilgrims a safe and fulfilling journey. He expressed hope that their pilgrimage from the sacred lands of Lord Jagannath and Lord Lingaraj to Kashi Vishwanath and Shri Ram Lalla would bring them spiritual fulfilment.
The minister also said the state government had made comprehensive arrangements to ensure a safe, comfortable and well-organised journey for all participants.
The pilgrims in this phase have been drawn from six districts of Odisha. Cuttack accounts for the largest contingent, with 197 senior citizens, followed by Khordha with 169, Puri with 127, Kendrapara with 108, Jagatsinghpur with 85 and Dhenkanal with 89. Together, the six districts account for all 775 pilgrims travelling on the special train.
During the ceremony, railway tickets and kit bags were symbolically handed over to the participants. Babu Singh, MLA from Ekamra, and Ashrit Pattanayak, MLA from Pipili, attended the event and conveyed their best wishes to the senior citizens.
Bhupendra Singh Poonia, Commissioner-cum-Secretary in charge of the Department of Tourism; Pratap Chandra Beura, Additional District Magistrate, Khordha; R. Manoj Babu, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Khordha Road Division; and Dipankar Mahapatra, Director of Tourism, also addressed the gathering.
The Mukhyamantri Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana is a state government initiative designed to help senior citizens undertake pilgrimages to major religious destinations across India.
For the financial year 2026–27, approximately 8,000 senior citizens are scheduled to travel under the scheme in 10 phases. The destinations include Ayodhya, Varanasi, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Rameswaram and Madurai.
Approximately 4,000 senior citizens have already visited various pilgrimage destinations under the scheme during the current financial year.
