Bhubaneswar, Mar 19: Under Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana (BNTYY), as many as 800 elderly people of Odisha embarked on a pilgrimage Wednesday to Ayodhya and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh on a special Train.

Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida flagged off the train at the Bhubaneswar Railway Station. Besides Parida, Odisha Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan and Uttar Pradesh Tourism Minister Jaiveer Singh were also graced the occasion with their presence.

During this occasion, the railway station experienced a spiritual atmosphere, and the premises echoed with chants of 'Haribol,' and 'Jai Shri Ram’.

Elderly people from Jagatsinghpur, Dhenkanal, Kendrapara, Puri, Cuttack and Khordha have embarked on the pilgrimage to Ayodhya and Varanasi. The highest number of participants, 196 elderly people, in this pilgrimage come from the Cuttack district.

According to reports, the elderly devotees will first visit Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi and attend the Ganga Aarti during this pilgrimage. Then, they will proceed to Ayodhya to seek the blessings of Lord Ram and visit the Sarayu River bank and Shri Hanuman Garhi temple.

The pilgrimage reportedly spans a total of six days and five nights, with the devotees set to return to Bhubaneswar March 24.

“In Odisha, senior citizens aged 60 to 75 years, economically underprivileged and living below the poverty line, have been selected by the Tourism Department, irrespective of caste or religion, to fulfill their spiritual aspirations,” wrote DY CM Parida in a post on ‘X’.

The pilgrimage to Ayodhya began from Berhampur on March 8, followed by departures from Bhubaneswar on Wednesday (March 19), Sambalpur on March 29, Rayagada on April 8, and Balasore on April 18. “In total, around 4,000 senior citizens from 30 districts will participate in this spiritual journey across five phases,” the post reads.

About BNTYY

The Department of Tourism, Government of Odisha started the Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana (BNTYY) in collaboration with IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation). Under this scheme, the senior citizens of the state are taken on a visit to different pilgrimage centres in the country from particular boarding points in the state as per the schedule approved for the journeys.

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