Pilgrim train leaves Silk City

Berhampur: The fourth pilgrim train of the year started from Berhampur railway station for different pilgrim centres in Tamil Nadu on Friday. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik flagged off the special train through videoconferencing from Bhubaneswar and conveyed his best wishes to the pilgrims.
Under the Barishta Nagrika Teerth Yatra Yojana, around 952 pilgrims of five districts, including Ganjam, boarded the train. They included Ganjam (567), Gajapati (83), Boudh (63), Kandhamal and Nayagarh (139), an official source said. As many as 30 government officials, doctors and nurses are also accompanying the pilgrims.

During the six-day trip they will visit Brihadeeswara, Velankanni and Kayarohanaswami in Tamil Nadu. They will return to Berhampur on February 20.

Earlier three trains took pilgrims from Balasore, Sambalapur and Titilagarh. Other two trains will roll down from Bhubaneswar and Rayagada soon, an official source said.

“This time, we have increased the number of pilgrims and accordingly hiked the budget. The government would spend around Rs 11crore under the scheme this year,” said tourism secretary Vishal Deb.

Odisha Tourism Development Corporation has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation for the pilgrimage trips.

Elderly pilgrims were all smiles. As the train moved, they waived to their relatives who came to see them off.

“It was a long-cherished dream to go on a pilgrimage as I did not go outside the state. Now I am happy as the government is taking us for a pilgrimage free of cost,” said 70-year-old Budhimanta Kothia of Baiganabadi in Kukudakhandi block of Ganjam.

Odisha is among the a few states which are sponsoring the pilgrimage trips. Under the scheme, the state government is footing the bill.

“We have made all arrangements for their safe train journey,” said Utkal Kumar Pati, joint director, tourism.