910 Senior Pilgrims Begin Puri Journey Under Shree Jagannath Darshan Yojana

Bhubaneswar: The first pilgrimage of the 2026–27 financial year under the Shree Jagannath Darshan Yojana began on Sunday, with 910 senior citizens from Malkangiri, Koraput and Nabarangpur districts travelling to Puri for darshan of Lord Jagannath.

Deputy Chief Minister and Tourism Minister Pravati Parida virtually flagged off the first group. The scheme is being implemented by the Odisha Tourism Department in coordination with the Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC). The first group includes 490 pilgrims from Malkangiri, 210 from Koraput and 210 from Nabarangpur.

According to reports, arrangements have been made for 10,434 pilgrims from 13 districts to visit Puri during the first phase between September 20 and October 26. The wider scheme aims to facilitate the pilgrimage of one lakh senior citizens, while arrangements are being made for around 30,000 eligible beneficiaries during the current year.

Under the programme, pilgrims are transported from their respective gram panchayats to designated district-level points and then to Puri in dedicated buses. Health-related arrangements and personnel support are also provided during the journey to assist senior passengers.

The pilgrimage package includes health check-ups, four vegetarian meals a day, kit bags and identity cards, along with arrangements for darshan at the Shree Jagannath Temple and cultural programmes.

Pravati Parida said the scheme is intended to help senior citizens from different parts of Odisha undertake the pilgrimage to Puri. She also highlighted the government's efforts to provide organised transportation and other facilities for beneficiaries.

Tourism Department Commissioner-cum-Secretary Balwant Singh, Tourism Director Dipankar Mahapatra, Additional Secretary Rudra Prasanna Sahu and OSRTC General Manager Debabrata Mallick were among the officials associated with the virtual launch. Representatives and officials from Malkangiri, Koraput and Nabarangpur also participated in the programme.

The first batch marks the beginning of the latest phase of the state government's organised pilgrimage programme, with additional groups from other districts scheduled to travel to Puri during the first phase.