Bhubaneswar: The first senior citizen pilgrimage train of the financial year 2026-27 left Odisha on Wednesday with 775 eligible pilgrims travelling to Varanasi and Ayodhya under the Mukhyamantri Baristha Nagarik Teertha Yatra Yojana.
The special train was flagged off at 11 am from Bhubaneswar New Railway Station at Patia by Deputy Chief Minister and Tourism Minister Pravati Parida.
Wishing the pilgrims a safe journey, Parida said they would have the opportunity to witness the Ganga Aarti, seek the blessings of Lord Kashi Vishwanath and experience the divine presence of Shri Ram Lalla.
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.
Of the 775 pilgrims, 333 are women and 432 are men. As many as 25 escort officers have also accompanied them to ensure their safety, comfort and well-being during the journey.
Parida said the initiative enables senior citizens from different districts of Odisha to visit important destinations across the country and understand their cultural and spiritual significance.
Industries, Skill Development and Technical Education Minister Sampad Chandra Swain and Kendrapara MLA Ganeshwar Behera also extended their greetings and best wishes to the pilgrims. Railway tickets and kit bags were distributed on the occasion.
Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Tourism Department, Balwant Singh; Khordha Collector Amrit Ruturaj; Additional DRM, Khurda Road Division, Pradip Kumar Behera; Regional Manager, IRCTC, Anuj Dutta; and Director, Tourism Department, Dipankar Mahapatra, among other senior officials, were present and addressed the gathering.
Under the Mukhyamantri Teertha Yatra Yojana, 8,000 senior citizens will undertake journeys in 10 phases during 2026-27. The destinations covered include Ayodhya, Varanasi, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Rameswaram and Madurai.
