Odisha Deputy CM Pravati Parida launches ‘Sri Jagannath Darshan Yojana’

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Bhubaneswar: Odisha Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Women & Child Development, Mission Shakti, and Tourism, Pravati Parida, launched the ‘Sri Jagannath Darshan Yojana,’ with an aim to provide free pilgrimages to economically weaker senior citizens and widowed women to Puri Shree Jagannath Temple.

Parida flagged-off the pilgrimages virtually so that a total of 910 devotees from Malkangiri, Koraput, and Nabarangpur districts will visit the Puri Jagannath temple in the first phase of the ‘Sri Jagannath Darshan Yojana,’ which is being implemented jointly by the State Tourism Department and Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC).

In her speech, the Deputy Chief Minister stated that fulfilling the spiritual aspiration of every Odia to seek the blessings of Lord Jagannath is the primary objective of the people’s government. Thanks to the efforts of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, this sacred opportunity has been created for the state’s senior citizens to visit Srikhetra (Puri).

Arrangements have been made for the pilgrims to stay at Brundabati Niwas in Puri, alongside provisions for safe travel, health check-ups, partaking of Mahaprasad, and a special Darshan (viewing of the deity).

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It is noteworthy that under this scheme, arrangements have been made for a total of 10,434 pilgrims from 13 districts to visit Puri during the first phase, spanning from September 20 to October 17.

A total of 910 pilgrims are participating in today’s inaugural journey, comprising 490 pilgrims from Malkangiri, 210 from Koraput, and 210 from Nabarangpur. On each bus, three escort officers and one paramedic accompany 35 pilgrims to oversee their well-being and health.

While the scheme aims to facilitate visits to the Srimandir for one lakh senior citizens, arrangements are currently being made for 30,000 eligible beneficiaries this year.

The  ‘Sri Jagannath Darshan Yojana’ includes travel from the respective panchayats to the district headquarters and onward to Puri via special buses, free health check-ups, four vegetarian meals daily, a special kit bag, the consumption of Mahaprasad at ‘Brundabati Niwas’, and cultural programs.

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