The 86th train under the Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Scheme of the Delhi government left for Rameswaram with 780 elderly pilgrims from Safdarjung Railway Station here on Monday.

Before the journey, a Bhajan Sandhya was organized by the government at Thyagaraj Stadium for all pilgrims. Revenue Minister Atishi met with the pilgrims and handed them journey tickets and travel kits.

On the occasion, Atishi mentioned that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, through the pilgrimage scheme, has facilitated trips for over 81,000 elderly individuals on 85 trains so far, and this initiative will continue in the future as well.

While addressing the elderly people at the devotional evening, she said, “In Delhi, your son Arvind Kejriwal thought that as soon as a person enters old age, a desire awakens in his heart that after a lifetime of hard work, they want to undertake a pilgrimage. However, many individuals either lack the time or the means to arrange a pilgrimage for themselves.”

She stated that she is happy to see that more than 80 per cent of the elderly individuals going on pilgrimage trips in the past several occasions are women.

“This is a wonderful development because, in our society, women often dedicate their entire lives to serving their families, placing their family’s needs above their own. It brings us great joy that the mothers who have devoted their entire lives to their families are being sent on pilgrimage journeys at this stage of life,” Atishi said.

She mentioned that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has, so far, sent over 81,000 elderly individuals on pilgrimage journeys through 85 trains from Delhi.

The Mukhyamantri Teerthyatra Yojna 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.