The desire of the elderly to go on pilgrimage for years has been fulfilled: 780 devotees left for Tirupati, Madurai, Rameswaram by the first special train
Widows and abandoned women will also be able to avail the benefits of the Chief Minister’s Tirtha Darshan Yojana
Raipur, March 27, 2025: Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai today flagged off the first special pilgrimage train from Raipur Railway Station to Tirupati, Madurai and Rameswaram. 780 devotees from Raipur and Balodabazar-Bhatapara districts participated in this first pilgrimage train, for whom this journey became not only a religious experience but also a symbol of respect and affection. The years-old desire of the elderly of the state was fulfilled today when Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai formally launched the Chief Minister’s Tirtha Darshan Yojana. Chief Minister Sai, while having a hearty discussion with the elderly going on pilgrimage, said that the happiness on the faces of all of you is my satisfaction. He said that in Rameswaram, you people will be able to see the holy Ram Setu, you will be able to see the Jyotirlinga. You people will also visit Madurai pilgrimage where Meenakshi temple is located. You will visit Balaji in Tirupati. This is a wonderful opportunity to see the pilgrimage sites of South India. Chief Minister Sai said that so far more than 22 thousand devotees have visited Ramlala in Ayodhya under the Chief Minister Ramlala (Ayodhya Darshan) Yojana in the state.
Chief Minister Sai said that Maha Kumbh was organized in Prayagraj after 144 years. Pilgrims from Chhattisgarh also participated in Kumbh in large numbers. To serve the pilgrims from Chhattisgarh and to take care of their convenience, we had prepared Chhattisgarh Pavilion in Prayagraj Mela area. Here, there were arrangements for the stay of pilgrims in about four and a half acres. It is our good fortune that we could serve lakhs of devotees of the state who came to bathe in Ganga ji. Chief Minister Sai said that now the journey of devotees will continue under the Chief Minister’s Tirtha Darshan Yojana. He said that we have made a budget provision of Rs 15 crore for this scheme. Many pilgrimage places like Ujjain, Puri, Dwarka, Vaishno Devi, Mathura, Vrindavan have been added to this scheme, whose travel will be done free of cost. Chief Minister Sai said on this occasion that the desire of our elders to go on pilgrimage often remained unfulfilled due to financial difficulties. He said that we are satisfied that we are able to make their wish come true. He informed that widows and abandoned women have also been included in the scheme, so that they too can get the honour of visiting religious places. He clarified that his government is fully dedicated to the upliftment of every section of the society including youth, farmers, women and tribal community and is continuously working in this direction. This is not just a pilgrimage, it is a confluence of culture and devotion – Minister Mrs. Laxmi Rajwade
Social Welfare Minister Smt. Laxmi Rajwade said that Mukhyamantri Teerth Darshan Yojana is not just a pilgrimage but a living symbol of our Sanatan culture, traditions and religious faith. She informed that under this scheme, those devotees will get this opportunity who have been deprived of pilgrimage till now due to financial limitations. The government has prepared a full facility package for the devotees which includes all the necessary arrangements like train travel, accommodation of the passengers, food, temple darshan, security and medical care. A team of tour escort, police force and doctors are also travelling with them in the special train so that the devotees feel safe and comfortable at every moment. Under the scheme, 19 major pilgrimage areas across the country have been included, which include major religious places like Ujjain, Omkareshwar, Puri, Haridwar, Kashi, Shirdi, Vaishnodevi, Amritsar, Dwarka, Bodhgaya, Kamakhya Temple, Sabarimala.
Social Welfare Minister Smt. Laxmi Rajwade said that Mukhyamantri Teerth Darshan Yojana was started on 4 December 2012 during the tenure of former Chief Minister Dr. Raman Singh. Between 15 January 2013 and 10 June 2019, 2,46,983 devotees were benefited through a total of 272 pilgrimages under this scheme. During the tenure of the previous government, this scheme was not in operation for 5 years. This scheme, which was operated during the government of Dr. Raman Singh, was discontinued by the government that came after it. By restarting this scheme, the present government has once again taken the initiative to fulfill the faith, belief and the dream of pilgrimage cherished for years by the elders of Chhattisgarh. On this occasion, MLAs Purandar Mishra, Motilal Sahu, Anuj Sharma, Social Welfare Commissioner Bhuvnesh Yadav, Director Smt. Roktima Yadav, Raipur Collector Dr. Gaurav Singh, Municipal Corporation Commissioner Vishwadeep, Raipur DRM Dayanand, officers and employees of Social Welfare and Railway Department and a large number of citizens were present.