On Saturday, under the CM Teerthyatra Scheme, the 85th train departed from Delhi to Rameswaram with 780 elderly pilgrims. Ahead of the journey, a devotional evening was organized at Thyagaraj Stadium for all pilgrims. Here, Revenue Minister Atishi interacted with the pilgrims, and distributed journey tickets and kits to them.
On this occasion, Revenue Minister Atishi said, “I would like to express my gratitude to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on behalf of all elderly residents of Delhi, who regards all elderly citizens of Delhi as his own parents. He plays the role of a son, organizing pilgrimage trips for the elderly in Delhi.”
She mentioned that CM Arvind Kejriwal is no less than Shravan Kumar for the elderly in Delhi, and has so far sent over 81,000 elderly individuals on pilgrimage through 84 trains. He has pledged that regardless of any challenges, he will not allow the pilgrimage initiative for the elderly in Delhi to stop and will ensure that every elderly resident of Delhi gets the opportunity for a pilgrimage
Revenue Minister said, ‘I am delighted that more than 80% of the elderly individuals going on pilgrimage in the past several occasions have been women. This is a very positive development because, in our society, a woman dedicates her entire life to serving her family. Often, women put themselves behind and prioritize their families. For us, it is a matter of great joy that we are sending those mothers on a pilgrimage who have devoted their entire lives to the service of their families at this stage of life.'”
On this occasion, she extended best wishes to the pilgrims for their journey and appealed, ‘During the pilgrimage, may you all have a good darshan and pray to the Almighty for the progress of the country and Delhi.’ She urged the pilgrims, ‘When you reach Rameshwaram, along with your families, also wish for the happiness and prosperity of the people of the country and Delhi.
Under the CM Teerthyatra Scheme, the Delhi government has been organizing pilgrimages for its elderly citizens to various pilgrimage sites across the country for the past two to three years. In this series, on Saturday evening, a train departed from Safdarjung Railway Station to Rameswaram. Before this, a Bhajan Sandhya was organized at Thyagaraj Stadium by the Delhi government. The purpose was to provide an opportunity for pilgrimage-goers to connect with fellow travelers embarking on a spiritual journey and to attain inner peace.
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 CM Teerthyatra Scheme 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.
