Bhubaneswar, October 28: The sixth phase of the Mukhyamantri Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana for the financial year 2026–27 commenced on Wednesday, with a special train carrying 775 senior citizens from Odisha to the holy cities of Varanasi and Ayodhya.

Prithviraj Harichandan, Minister of Law, Works and Excise, flagged off the pilgrimage train at Bhubaneswar New Railway Station. The journey has been organised by the Department of Tourism, Government of Odisha, in collaboration with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). A team of 25 officials is accompanying the pilgrims to provide necessary assistance and ensure their comfort and safety throughout the journey. The group is scheduled to return to Odisha on November 2, 2026.

Addressing the gathering at the flag-off ceremony, Shri Harichandan extended his best wishes to the pilgrims and expressed hope that the journey would offer them a spiritually enriching experience. Referring to the pilgrimage from the sacred land of Lord Jagannath and Lord Lingaraj to Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi and Shri Ram Lalla in Ayodhya, he highlighted the religious significance of the two destinations.

He said the pilgrimage would enable senior citizens to witness the Ganga Aarti, seek the blessings of Lord Kashi Vishwanath and offer prayers at the revered Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya. He also emphasised that the State Government had put in place comprehensive arrangements to ensure a safe, comfortable and well-organised journey for all participants.

Of the 775 senior citizens undertaking the pilgrimage, 197 are from Cuttack district, 169 from Khordha, 127 from Puri, 108 from Kendrapara, 89 from Dhenkanal and 85 from Jagatsinghpur. Railway tickets and kit bags were symbolically distributed among the pilgrims during the ceremony.

Shri Babu Singh, MLA from Ekamra, and Shri Ashrit Pattanayak, MLA from Pipili, attended the event and conveyed their best wishes to the pilgrims for a safe and fulfilling journey.

Among the other dignitaries present were Shri Bhupendra Singh Poonia, Commissioner-cum-Secretary in charge of the Department of Tourism; Shri Pratap Chandra Beura, Additional District Magistrate, Khordha; Shri R. Manoj Babu, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Khordha Road Division; and Shri Dipankar Mahapatra, Director of Tourism. The officials also addressed the gathering on the occasion.

The Mukhyamantri Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana is a flagship initiative of the Odisha Government aimed at enabling senior citizens to visit prominent religious destinations across the country. The scheme seeks to make pilgrimage more accessible to elderly residents by facilitating organised travel and providing necessary support during their journeys.

For the financial year 2026–27, around 8,000 senior citizens are scheduled to undertake pilgrimages in 10 phases to destinations such as Ayodhya, Varanasi, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Rameswaram and Madurai. Approximately 4,000 senior citizens have already visited various pilgrimage destinations under the scheme during the current financial year, reflecting the continued implementation of the State Government’s initiative to promote spiritual tourism and support the welfare of senior citizens.