After the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22, Delhi’s Kejriwal government will send maximum number of trains to Ayodhya under the ‘Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Yojana’. Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal shared this information with pilgrims before seeing off the pilgrims headed for Dwarkadhish by train on Wednesday, at Thyagraj Stadium.
The train dispatched to Dwarkadhish today was the 87th under the ‘Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Yojana’. So far, over 82,000 devotees have been on pilgrimage to various religious sites in 86 trains.
The Chief Minister stated that the auspicious opening of the ‘Bhagwan Shri Ram Temple’ in Ayodhya will take place on January 22. After that, efforts will be made to send as many trains as possible to Ayodhya, as there is great enthusiasm among people to have ‘darshan’ of ‘Ram Lalla’ in Ayodhya. He expressed his desire to visit Ayodhya for darshan after the consecration of the temple with his parents, wife, and children.
Before the departure of the train to Dwarkadhish, a Bhajan Sandhya (devotional evening) was organized for the pilgrims at Thyagraj Stadium, where CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal met the pilgrims. He touched the feet of the elderly pilgrims to seek their blessings. Revenue Minister Atishi was also present on the occasion. The Chief Minister presented a symbolic ticket to the senior pilgrim Shakuntala Devi. All pilgrims were given a kit containing essentials such as blankets, towels, and daily-use items. According to the traditions of ‘Sanatan Dharma’, pilgrims going to visit Dwarkadhish carry an umbrella, so each pilgrim was also provided with an umbrella along with the kit.
On this occasion, Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal mentioned that almost every week, trains depart from Delhi carrying around a thousand pilgrims to various pilgrimage sites. Trains are sent to 12-13 pilgrimage sites, including Sri Rameshwaram, Jagannath Puri, Shirdi, and Dwarkadhish. “I strive to meet pilgrims and wish them a successful journey whenever I’m in Delhi and have time. Today, I have come to meet pilgrims again. This journey to Dwarkadhish will span seven days. On Wednesday evening, around 7 PM, the train carrying pilgrims from Delhi will depart. Thursday will be spent entirely on the train, and on Friday morning, the train will reach Dwarkadhish,” he added.
The Delhi CM continued, “Usually, people are so engrossed in their work from morning till evening that they don’t realize how life passes by. Therefore, I encourage everyone to enjoy this seven-day journey. I’m confident that pilgrims won’t even feel that they are undertaking a journey because everyone collectively engages in devotional singing on the train. Many people on this pilgrimage may be from the same neighbourhood. Many of them will be friends for years. Upon reaching Dwarkadhish on the 3rd day, devotees will get ‘darshan’, and arrangements for buses have been made for everyone there. After seeing the Dwarkadhish temple in the evening, the pilgrims will proceed for Shree Somnath. The next day, everyone will reach Shree Somnath Temple and spend the entire day in the darshan of Shree Somnath Ji. This way, the entire journey will be completed in 7 days.”
Revenue Minister Atishi stated that on each pilgrimage, nearly 70% to 80 % are women. “One reason for this is that while men somehow manage to take time off from work and go on pilgrimages, women often don’t get the time or the opportunity to do so. Most women are dependent on their husbands and children. In this regard, the ‘Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Yojana’ initiated by us has provided our mothers with an opportunity. It is heartening to see that 70-80 % of women are participating in pilgrimages, giving them the chance to visit various places and have darshan of the deities,” the Chief Minister stated.
CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal shared that it’s wintertime, so all travellers should take care of themselves to avoid feeling cold. “Every effort has been made to ensure everyone’s well-being. Travelers will go in AC trains from here, and upon reaching Shree Dwarkadhish, accommodation in an AC hotel has been arranged. Good arrangements have been made for food and stay there. Even then, if there are any shortcomings from our side, we apologize in advance,” he said.
Shri Arvind Kejriwal also urged the pilgrims to give their feedback on their return. “If you notice any issues, let us know upon return so that we can rectify them for the next journey on the train. Please get a darshan of deities and seek blessings for you, your family, us, Delhiites, and the country. Please pray for everyone’s well-being,” he said.
Responding to queries about whether he has received the Ram Temple consecration ceremony’s invitation letter, CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal stated that they had conveyed to him that a team would come personally with a formal invitation to the ceremony. “However, no one visited me. But it doesn’t matter,” said Shri Kejriwal.
He said in the letter it was mentioned that there would be so many VVIPs during this ceremony, keeping their security in mind only one person is allowed to come. “I have a fervent desire to see Ram Lalla with my parents. After the Pran Pratishtha on January 22, I will go to Ayodhya with my parents, wife, and children for the darshan of ‘Ram Lalla’, the Chief Minister said.
During this occasion, Revenue Minister Atishi stated, “At a certain age, when people are free from their family duties, they wish to go on a spiritual journey. However, they often face many barriers in planning and managing their pilgrimage. But apart from the elderly people’s own families, they have one more son who thinks about them. He is Delhi’s beloved CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal. Rendering his duty as a son, CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal considers each senior citizen as his parent and has taken responsibility for fulfilling the wish of senior citizens to go on a pilgrimage.”
She added that it is a happy occasion for everyone that 86 successful journeys with more than 82,000 senior citizens have already been completed under Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Yojna. These senior citizens have visited various pilgrimages across the country, including Vaishno Devi, Dwarkadhish, and Rameshwaram. “When we were kids, we used to listen to stories about ‘Shravan Kumar’. Delhi CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal is the ‘Shravan Kumar’ of the modern day who is ensuring pleasant pilgrimage journeys for thousands of Delhi senior citizens today,” said the Revenue Minister.
Atishi further said, “During this pilgrimage to Dwarkadhish, arrangements for tours across various places nearby have been made for all. We have tried to provide the best arrangements for the journey of our senior citizens.”
The Revenue Minister said that for the past several months, trains have been consistently going for pilgrimage journeys, and she is especially pleased to see that 80% of the pilgrims are women, who are our mothers. This is a source of happiness because a woman dedicates her entire life to the sake of her family. A woman always puts her family ahead of herself. In this regard, she is happy that the ‘Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Yojana’ is giving our mothers the opportunity to go on a pilgrimage by putting themselves forward.
Addressing the senior citizens, Revenue Minister Atishi said that our promise to all of you is that we will always be available to serve you, continuously working to make your lives better. Our only wish for you is that when you reach Dwarkadhish, pray for Delhi and us just as you would pray for your family.
So far, 86 pilgrimage trains have been dispatched
Under the ‘Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Yojana’, a total of 86 trains have been sent off until now, accommodating more than 82,000 pilgrims on journeys to various pilgrimage sites. On Wednesday, the 87th pilgrimage train departed for Dwarkadhish, carrying around a thousand pilgrims to Dwarkadhish. During this journey, pilgrims will be guided to visit Dwarkadhish, Nageshwar Dham, and the Somnath Temple.
