Brahmapur: A dedicated pilgrimage train, carrying 775 senior citizens from five districts along with 25 escorts, departed from Brahmapur railway station on Friday, bound for Ayodhya and Varanasi as part of the Odisha government’s Senior Citizen Pilgrimage Scheme.

The train was inaugurated by Fisheries and Animal Resources Development and MSME Minister Gokulananda Mallik, who expressed his hopes for the pilgrims to have a safe and enriching journey.

According to Mallik, over 46,000 Odia individuals have visited key pilgrimage sites across India in the last two years through this scheme. He emphasized that this program is instrumental in enabling economically disadvantaged seniors to realize their longstanding dreams of visiting holy sites.

The itinerary for the pilgrims includes visits to the Ganga ghats, various Shaivite temples, the Ganga Aarti, and the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, in addition to a visit to Ayodhya to receive blessings from Lord Sri Ram.

Out of the 775 participants, 438 hail from Ganjam, 119 from Nayagada, 91 from Kandhamala, 72 from Gajapati, and 55 from Boudh.

Local MLAs K. Anil Kumar from Brahmapur, Krushna Chandra Nayak from Chhatrapur, and Manoranjan Dyan Samantara from Chikiti were present to send off the pilgrims, wishing them a safe and memorable experience during their five-night, six-day journey.

Ganjam Collector V. Keerthi Vasan welcomed the pilgrims and encouraged them to cherish their spiritual adventure while prioritizing their health. Senior officials from the district, including BMC Commissioner A. Sasya Reddy, Brahmapur Sub-Collector Abinash Kumar, IRCTC Regional Manager Anuj Dutta, and Tourism Department Additional Secretary Dr. Rudra Narayan Das, also attended the event.

The district administration has organized accommodations, health check-ups, meals, and other amenities for the pilgrims at Gurukul School, located near Brahmapur Railway Station. Traditional music and dance performances were arranged at the station to celebrate the pilgrims’ departure.