Odisha flagged off the first senior citizen pilgrimage train of FY 2026‑27 on Wednesday, carrying 775 pilgrims to Varanasi and Ayodhya under the Mukhyamantri Baristha Nagarik Teertha Yatra Yojana.
The train departed from Bhubaneswar New Railway Station (Patia) at 11 AM, flagged off by Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Women & Child Development, Mission Shakti and Tourism, Pravati Parida, who extended her best wishes for a safe and spiritually fulfilling journey.
Parida said the pilgrimage from the sacred land of Lord Lingaraj to Kashi Vishwanath and Ayodhya would be a memorable experience, offering pilgrims the chance to witness the Ganga Aarti, seek blessings of Lord Kashi Vishwanath, and experience the divine presence of Shri Ram Lalla.
The first phase covers six districts—Khordha (169 pilgrims), Jagatsinghpur (85), Kataka (197), Puri (127), Kendrapada (108) and Dhenkanal (89). Of the total pilgrims, 333 are women, and 442 are men, accompanied by 25 escort officers to ensure safety and comfort.
The event was attended by Minister Sampad Chandra Swain, MLA Ganeswar Behera, and senior officials including Balwant Singh, Amrit Ruturaj, Pradip Kumar Behera, Anuj Dutta and Dipankar Mahapatra.
Under the scheme, around 8,000 senior citizens will undertake pilgrimage journeys in 10 phases during 2026‑27, covering destinations such as Ayodhya, Varanasi, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Rameswaram and Madurai.
