Berhampur: A special pilgrim train carrying 775 senior citizens from five districts of Odisha rolled out of Berhampur on Monday under the state government’s Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana, an initiative aimed at enabling elderly citizens to undertake holy pilgrimages with ease.
Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida flagged off the train in the presence of Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena, Forest and Environment Minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia, and several MLAs. The pilgrims, embarking on a five-day spiritual journey to Omkareshwar and Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, are scheduled to return on November 21.
Ahead of departure, a special health camp was set up near the Berhampur railway station to conduct medical check-ups for all passengers. Pilgrims arriving from other districts on Sunday were provided accommodation and meals by the Ganjam district administration.
As part of the Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana, the state government has planned 10 such pilgrim trips this year from various stations including Bhubaneswar, Berhampur, Sambalpur, Rayagada, and Balasore. Notably, a similar special train had departed from Berhampur on September 19 for Ayodhya and Varanasi.
