BHUBANESWAR: Deputy chief minister Pravati Parida on Sunday virtually flagged off the first pilgrimage of around 910 senior citizens from three districts to the Shree Jagannath temple in Puri under the ‘Shree Jagannath Darshan Yojana’ for 2025-26.
The 910 elderly pilgrims from Malkangiri, Koraput and Nabarangpur districts will travel to Puri to have a darshan of Lord Jagannath.
Addressing the gathering on the occasion, Parida said facilitating the spiritual aspiration of every Odia to have darshan of Lord Jagannath remains one of the key priorities of the government. “The initiative has created an opportunity for senior citizens from across the state to visit Srikshetra and seek the blessings of Lord Jagannath,” she added.
In the first phase of the scheme, arrangements have been made for 10,434 elderly pilgrims from 13 districts to visit Puri between September 20 (Sunday) and October 26, 2026. The first pilgrimage which commenced on the day comprised 490 senior citizens from Malkangiri, 210 from Koraput and 210 from Nabarangpur.
Under the scheme, pilgrims are facilitated with transportation from their respective gram panchayats to the district headquarters and thereafter to Puri by dedicated buses.
Three escort officers and one paramedical staff member have been deployed in each bus to ensure the safety and well-being of the pilgrims. They will accompany the pilgrims throughout the journey and monitor their health and other requirements.
The package also includes free health check-ups, four vegetarian meals a day, kit bags, identity cards and cultural programmes, besides arrangements for darshan at Srimandir.
The scheme aims to facilitate darshan of the holy Trinity at the Shree Jagannath temple for one lakh senior citizens. During the current year, around 30,000 eligible beneficiaries will avail the opportunity.
The state government is providing free air-conditioned deluxe bus transportation operated by Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) to facilitate pilgrimage trips to Puri for eligible senior citizens and economically-weaker sections. The initiative is being implemented jointly by the Tourism department and the OSRTC.
