The Odisha government is set to soon roll out the Shri Jagannath Darshan Yojana, aimed at enabling senior citizens to visit the revered Shri Jagannath Temple in Puri.
The Tourism Department has shown proactive initiative in this regard, with revised operational guidelines already issued to facilitate the scheme’s implementation.
Under the program, individuals aged between 60 and 75 years, as well as widows, will automatically qualify as beneficiaries. However, obtaining their consent is mandatory for inclusion. District collectors have been directed to finalize the list of beneficiaries at the panchayat level to ensure grassroots-level selection.
The scheme promises to cover travel arrangements to the Shri Jagannath Temple in Puri, facilitate darshan (holy viewing), and provide free mahaprasad (sacred food offering). Discussions have already been held with social security officers from all districts under the Tourism Department. Collectors were instructed to collect consent forms from potential beneficiaries on the day of pension distribution.
However, consent collection has so far been unsatisfactory in most districts. In response, district collectors have been urged to personally monitor the process and expedite the collection of consents to speed up beneficiary nominations.
The government has set ambitious targets for the scheme: 5,000 beneficiaries in the financial year 2025-26 and 30,000 in 2026-27, reflecting its commitment to promoting spiritual tourism and supporting the elderly.
