Preamble

EXTRAORDINARY PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY

N o . 3 1 7 , C U T T A C K , W E D N E S D A Y , F E B R U A R Y 1 0 , 2 01 6 / M A G H A 2 1 , 1 9 3 7

[No.2583–T.TSP-II-C-01/2016/TSM.] TOURISM & CULTURE (TOURISM) DEPARTMENT RESOLUTION The 1st February, 2016 “BARISTA NAGARIKA TIRTHA YATRA YOJANA” A SCHEME TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO SENIOR CITIZENS TO GO ON PILGRIMAGE

Pilgrimage or 'Tirtha Yatra' holds a special significance in Indian culture as well as in

other cultures of the world. Pilgrimage is considered as a spiritual and divine experience and also a deed of reward. Tradition of Tirtha Yatra or pilgrimage has always played an important role in holding the diversities of Indian culture together and intact since ancient times. Moreover, it also promotes social harmony. Every person desires to go on pilgrimage to holy places for at least once in his/her lifetime and such desire reaches its peak at an old age. Due to poverty and backwardness, for many it remains a dream unfulfilled resulting in utter discontentment and non fulfilment of the divine experience. In the epic the Ramayana , Shravan Kumar is a symbol of unflinching dedication to parents by carrying them on his shoulders to pilgrimage. An ideal welfare state always makes a continuous effort to provide the best of its support for a better living of such older people. Such efforts need to include one more component to make it holistic through realisation of this unfulfilled dream of having one Tirtha Drashan during the lifetime. Keeping this in view, the State Tourism Department offers a great opportunity to the poor and deprived senior Citizens of the State for realisation of their lifelong dream of

having one Tirtha Darshan (Pilgrimage) with the support of the State. This scheme will be

offered to people of all regions/faith.

successfully organising similar schemes with good response from all domiciles of States.

IRCTC, a PSU of Ministry of Railways has proposed this novel venture for eastern India covering multiple destinations like Bhubaneswar–Rameswaram, Bhubaneswar–

Allahabad–Varanasi, Puri–Dwarka, Bhubaneswar–Mathura–Brundaban, Bhubaneswar–

Ajmer, Bhubaneswar–Ujjain, Bhubaneswar–Haridwar–Rishikesh, Bangriposi–Puri, Sambalpur–Puri, Nuapada–Puri, Koraput–Puri, Rourkela–Puri, Bangiriposi–Tirupati, etc. Eligibility :