Bhubaneswar: The first senior citizen pilgrimage train of the financial year 2026–27, carrying 775 eligible pilgrims from Odisha to Varanasi and Ayodhya under the Mukhyamantri Baristha Nagarik Teertha Yatra Yojana, was flagged off from Bhubaneswar New Railway Station (Patia) at 11 am on Wednesday.
Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Women & Child Development, Mission Shakti and Tourism, Pravati Parida, flagged off the special train and extended her best wishes to the pilgrims for a safe and spiritually fulfilling journey.
Speaking on the occasion, Parida said the pilgrimage from the sacred land of Lord Lingaraj to Kashi Vishwanath and Ayodhya would be a memorable experience for the senior citizens. She said the pilgrims would get an opportunity to witness the Ganga Aarti, seek the blessings of Lord Kashi Vishwanath and experience the divine presence of Shri Ram Lalla.
The Deputy Chief Minister said the pilgrimage initiative provides senior citizens from different districts of Odisha an opportunity to visit important pilgrimage destinations across the country and understand their rich cultural and spiritual significance.
The first phase of the pilgrimage covers six districts—Khordha, Jagatsinghpur, Kataka, Puri, Kendrapada and Dhenkanal. The district-wise participation includes 169 pilgrims from Khordha, 85 from Jagatsinghpur, 197 from Kataka, 127 from Puri, 108 from Kendrapada and 89 from Dhenkanal.
Of the 775 pilgrims, 333 are women and 442 are men. As many as 25 escort officers have accompanied the pilgrims to ensure their safety, comfort and well-being throughout the journey.
Minister for Industries, Skill Development & Technical Education Sampad Chandra Swain and Kendrapada MLA Ganeshwar Behera also addressed the gathering and extended their greetings and best wishes to the pilgrims. Railway tickets and kit bags were distributed ceremonially among the pilgrims.
Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Tourism Department, Balwant Singh; Khordha Collector Amrit Ruturaj; Additional DRM, Khurda Road Division, Pradip Kumar Behera; Regional Manager, IRCTC, Anuj Dutta; and Director, Tourism Department, Dipankar Mahapatra, among other senior officials, were present on the occasion.
Under the Mukhyamantri Teertha Yatra Yojana, around 8,000 senior citizens will undertake pilgrimage journeys in 10 phases during 2026–27. The programme will cover major pilgrimage destinations including Ayodhya, Varanasi, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Rameswaram and Madurai.
