Odisha Govt To Facilitate Jagannath Darshan For Senior Citizens, Widows
Nearly 35,000 beneficiaries are likely to be covered in the first phase of the scheme: Reports
BHUBANESWAR: In a major welfare initiative aimed at promoting inclusive religious tourism, the Odisha government on Friday announced plans to facilitate pilgrimage trips to Puri for senior citizens and widowed women, enabling them to offer prayers at the revered Shree Jagannath Temple. The scheme, christened Shri Jagannath Darshan Yojana, will cover citizens aged between 60 and 75 years, along with widows from across the State. The programme is expected to be launched shortly, with the tourism department already issuing detailed guidelines to all district Collectors for its smooth implementation.
According to official sources, nearly 35,000 beneficiaries are likely to be covered in the first phase of the scheme. District administrations have been directed to prepare beneficiary lists at the panchayat level, ensuring transparency, fairness and grassroots participation in the selection process. Special emphasis has been laid on identifying individuals who are financially or physically constrained and unable to undertake the pilgrimage on their own.
Under the scheme, the State government will make arrangements for travel, accommodation and other essential facilities, allowing beneficiaries to undertake a comfortable and dignified visit to the holy town of Puri. The initiative seeks to address long-standing demands from elderly citizens and widows, many of whom nurture a lifelong desire to visit the 12th-century shrine but lack the means to do so.
Officials said the programme is a part of the government’s broader commitment to social welfare and cultural preservation, while also boosting religious tourism in the State. Puri, one of the four Char Dhams of Hinduism, attracts millions of devotees annually, and the scheme is expected to make the pilgrimage more accessible to vulnerable sections of society.
The Shri Jagannath Darshan Yojana is seen as part of the Mohan Majhi government’s continuing efforts to combine faith-based initiatives with social inclusion, particularly for senior citizens and women who often remain on the margins of welfare outreach.
