Under Mukhyamantri Teerthyatra Yojna, on Monday, the 86th train departed from Delhi to Rameswaram with 780 elderly individuals. Before the journey, a Bhajan Sandhya was organized by the government at Thyagaraj Stadium for all pilgrims. Revenue Minister Atishi met with the pilgrims and handed them journey tickets and travel kits.
On this occasion, Ms Atishi mentioned that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, through the pilgrimage scheme, has facilitated trips for over 81,000 elderly individuals on 85 trains so far, and this initiative will continue in the future as well.
While addressing the elderly people at the devotional evening she said, “In Delhi, your son Arvind Kejriwal thought that as soon as a person enters old age, a desire awakens in their heart that after a lifetime of hard work, they want to undertake a pilgrimage. However, many individuals either lack the time or the means to arrange a pilgrimage for themselves.”
Revenue Minister added that in this scenario, by becoming a son of the elderly in Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal has been arranging pilgrimage journeys for every elderly person in Delhi, like Shravan Kumar. I am pleased that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, under Mukhyamantri Teerthyatra Yojna, has organized pilgrimage trips for over 81,000 elderly individuals through 85 trains so far.
Revenue Minister stated that she is happy to see that more than 80% of the elderly individuals going on pilgrimage trips in the past several occasions are women. “This is a wonderful development because, in our society, women often dedicate their entire lives to serving their families, placing their family’s needs above their own. It brings us great joy that the mothers who have devoted their entire lives to their families are being sent on pilgrimage journeys at this stage of life,” she said.
Ms Atishi mentioned that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has, so far, sent over 81,000 elderly individuals on pilgrimage journeys through 85 trains from Delhi. He has committed to continuing the pilgrimage series for the elderly in Delhi, irrespective of any obstacles, ensuring that every elderly person in Delhi gets the opportunity for a pilgrimage.
The purpose was to allow all pilgrims to begin their journey with God’s blessings, in a peaceful and serene state of mind, fostering connections with each other during the trip. The event aimed to deepen the spiritual bond with God and spiritually prepare the pilgrims for their sacred journey, providing them with strength and inner peace. During the devotional evening, tickets and necessary supplies were distributed to the pilgrims at the venue.
The Rameswaram journey will be completed in eight days. Today a train departed from Safdarjung Railway Station for Rameswaram, and after a two-day journey, the train will reach Rameswaram on the fourth day in the morning. All pilgrims will visit the Rameswaram Temple, and the next day they will visit the Meenakshi Temple. After visiting the Meenakshi Temple on the fifth day, they will depart for Delhi at night, and after a two-and-a-half-day journey, they will reach Delhi on the eighth day.
Ms Atishi further added that under this scheme, the Kejriwal government sends travelers by AC trains, books AC hotels for them, arranges for timely meals, and ensures that there are no situations where the elderly face any issues during their journey. A team from the Delhi government will also travel with them to ensure that all the facilities are provided to elderly pilgrims from time to time.
The Mukhyamantri Teerthyatra Yojna facilitates journeys for senior citizens to Rameshwaram, Dwarkadhish, Somnath, Nageshwar, Jagannath Puri, Baba Mahakal in Ujjain, Shirdi Sai Baba, Tirupati Balaji, Ayodhya, Mata Vaishno Devi, Pushkar, Fatehpur Sikri, Golden Temple in Amritsar, Kartarpur Sahib, Mathura-Vrindavan, and Haridwar.
To participate in these pilgrimages, pilgrims apply through an online portal. The Delhi government arranges convenient train services, and transportation from home to the station, and back. They also provide accommodation, meals, and kits containing essentials for each pilgrim’s comfort and convenience during the journey.
