Bhubaneswar:28/10/26:A wave of devotion and joy filled Bhubaneswar New Railway Station today as 775 senior citizens boarded a special train to begin a memorable pilgrimage to the holy cities of Varanasi and Ayodhya.

The trip marks the commencement of the sixth phase of the Mukhyamantri Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana for the financial year 2026–27.

Shri Prithviraj Harichandan, Minister of Law, Works, and Excise, officially flagged off the pilgrimage train. Organised by the Department of Tourism, Government of Odisha, in close collaboration with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), the initiative offers senior citizens a fully supported, hassle-free spiritual journey.

Bridging Sacred Landscapes

Addressing the gathering, Shri Harichandan extended his warmest wishes to the departing pilgrims. He highlighted the spiritual significance of connecting the land of Lord Jagannath and Lord Lingaraj with Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi and Shri Ram Lalla in Ayodhya.


Regional Participation & Distribution

The current batch brings together devout elders from six prominent districts across Odisha:

  • Cuttack: 197 pilgrims

  • Khordha: 169 pilgrims

  • Puri: 127 pilgrims

  • Kendrapara: 108 pilgrims

  • Dhenkanal: 89 pilgrims

  • Jagatsinghpur: 85 pilgrims

During the flag-off ceremony, travel kits and railway tickets were symbolically presented to selected participants. Prominent leaders, including Ekamra MLA Shri Babu Singh and Pipili MLA Shri Ashrit Pattanayak, were present to offer their blessings and wish the pilgrims a smooth voyage.

Key Officials Present

The flagging-off event saw key administrative figures sharing their insights and reinforcing the government’s commitment to welfare initiatives for the elderly. Key speakers included:

  • Bhupendra Singh Poonia, Commissioner-cum-Secretary in charge of Tourism

  • Pratap Chandra Beura, Additional District Magistrate, Khordha

  • R. Manoj Babu, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Khordha Road Division

  • Dipankar Mahapatra, Director of Tourism

About the Scheme

The Mukhyamantri Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana is a flagship initiative of the Odisha Government designed to enable senior citizens—many of whom might otherwise lack the resources or assistance—to undertake fully sponsored pilgrimages to revered religious sites across India.

For the 2026–27 financial year, the state aims to facilitate pilgrimage journeys for approximately 8,000 senior citizens across 10 distinct phases. Destination routes cover major holy sites including Ayodhya, Varanasi, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Rameswaram, and Madurai. With today’s departure, nearly 4,000 senior citizens have already availed themselves of the scheme this financial year.