Third BNTYY Pilgrimage Train Carries 775 Odisha Senior Citizens to Varanasi, Ayodhya

Bhubaneswar: As many as 775 senior citizens from eight districts of Odisha embarked on a pilgrimage to Varanasi and Ayodhya on Monday as the third pilgrimage train under the Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana (BNTYY) for 2026–27 began its journey from Sambalpur.

The train, carrying the senior citizens along with 25 escort officers, was virtually flagged off from Lokseva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar by Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari.

The pilgrims are from Sambalpur, Angul, Bargarh, Balangir, Jharsuguda, Subarnapur, Sundargarh and Deogarh districts. The journey is aimed at providing senior citizens an opportunity to visit two of the country’s major religious and cultural destinations.

The pilgrimage train will take the participants to Varanasi and Ayodhya, where they will experience the religious and cultural heritage of the two historic cities. The train is scheduled to return to Sambalpur on September 27.

Under the BNTYY, the Odisha government facilitates pilgrimage journeys for senior citizens through organised travel arrangements. Escort officers accompany the pilgrims throughout the trip to provide assistance and coordinate various requirements during the journey.

The virtual flag-off was witnessed by senior officials and dignitaries at Sambalpur Railway Station, including RDC Sambalpur Sangram Keshari Mohapatra, Sambalpur Collector and District Magistrate Siddheshwar Baliram Bondar, Sambalpur Municipal Corporation Commissioner Rehan Khatri and ADM Sambalpur Sudhansu Kumar Bhoi.

The latest journey is the third pilgrimage train operated under the scheme during the current financial year. The initiative is intended to enable senior citizens, particularly those who may otherwise find it difficult to organise such long-distance pilgrimages, to undertake the journey in a coordinated manner.

With the latest batch of pilgrims heading to Varanasi and Ayodhya, the state government is continuing its programme of organised pilgrimage travel for senior citizens, combining religious visits with an opportunity to explore the cultural heritage of some of India’s major pilgrimage centres.