The Odisha government’s heartfelt initiative, the Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana (BNTYY), continues to touch lives in 2025–26 by offering senior citizens across the state a fully sponsored pilgrimage experience to sacred destinations across India.
Launched in February 2016 and jointly managed by the Tourism Department and IRCTC, the scheme enables citizens aged between 60 and 75 to undertake spiritual journeys covering iconic sites like Rameswaram, Haridwar, Tirupati, Kamakhya, Shirdi, Varanasi, and more. To date, over 37,555 elderly pilgrims have benefited from 40 organised trips, with 7,967 citizens travelling in 2024–25 alone.
Selection is administered district-wise, with District Collectors preparing final lists based on official documents like ration cards, pension certificates, or job cards. Couples can also travel together, and citizens aged 70–75 may take along an adult attendant.
The state government provides the following facilities to the pilgrims through the said scheme.
• Transport facility to the pilgrims from their villages to the respective railway stations and back.
• Accommodation, transportation and food and beverage arrangements for all pilgrims during the journey by IRCTC.
• Travel guard, guide, travel insurance and medical facilities by IRCTC.
Applications are accepted online at , and selection is made via lottery if applicants exceed district quotas.
As Odisha renews its commitment to honouring its elders, the BNTYY stands as a beacon of social welfare and cultural preservation, where devotion meets dignity.
