The first senior citizen pilgrimage train of the financial year 2026-27, carrying 775 eligible pilgrims from Odisha to Varanasi and Ayodhya, was flagged off from Bhubaneswar New Railway Station (Patia) on Wednesday.

The special train was flagged off at 11 am by Odisha Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Women & Child Development, Mission Shakti and Tourism, Pravati Parida, under the Mukhyamantri Baristha Nagarik Teertha Yatra Yojana.

Wishing the pilgrims 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 for senior citizens. She highlighted that 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 initiative enables senior citizens from different districts of Odisha to visit major pilgrimage destinations across the country and understand their cultural and spiritual significance.

775 Pilgrims from Six Districts

The first phase includes senior citizens from six districts—Khordha, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Puri, Kendrapara and Dhenkanal.

The district-wise participation includes 169 pilgrims from Khordha, 85 from Jagatsinghpur, 197 from Cuttack, 127 from Puri, 108 from Kendrapara and 89 from Dhenkanal.

Among the 775 pilgrims, 432 are men and 333 are women. To ensure their safety, comfort and well-being throughout the journey, 25 escort officers have also accompanied the group.

Industries, Skill Development & Technical Education Minister Sampad Chandra Swain and Kendrapara MLA Ganeshwar Behera also addressed the pilgrims and extended their best wishes for a safe and successful journey. Railway tickets and kit bags were ceremonially distributed to the pilgrims.

Tourism Commissioner-cum-Secretary Balwant Singh, Khordha Collector Amrit Ruturaj, Additional DRM of Khurda Road Division Pradip Kumar Behera, IRCTC Regional Manager Anuj Dutta and Tourism Director Dipankar Mahapatra, among other senior officials, were present at the flag-off ceremony.

8,000 Senior Citizens to Undertake Pilgrimage

Under the Mukhyamantri Teertha Yatra Yojana, 8,000 senior citizens are scheduled to undertake pilgrimage journeys in 10 phases during 2026-27.

The programme will cover several major religious destinations, including Ayodhya, Varanasi, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Rameswaram and Madurai, providing senior citizens from Odisha an opportunity to visit important spiritual and cultural centres across the country.

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