The 88th train under the Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra scheme of the Delhi government left for Rameshwaram with 780 elderly pilgrims from Safdarjung railway station here on Saturday.

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

On this occasion, Atishi said: “I would like to express gratitude on behalf of all the elderly in Delhi to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who considers all the elderly in Delhi as his own parents and, playing the role of a son, is organizing pilgrimage journeys for them in Delhi.”

She said the Kejriwal government has sent over 83,000 elderly individuals on pilgrimage through 87 trains from Delhi so far.

Informing that more than 80 per cent of the elderly going on pilgrimage trips in recent times are women, the minister said: “This is a very positive development because, in Indian society, a woman often dedicates her entire life to serving her family and tends to put her family ahead of herself. In such circumstances, it brings great joy that we are sending those mothers who have devoted their entire lives to serving their families on a pilgrimage at this stage of life.”

Under the Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Scheme, the Delhi government has been organizing visits for its elderly citizens to various pilgrimage sites across the country for the past two to three years.

The Mukhyamantri Teerthyatra scheme facilitates journeys for senior citizens to visit Rameshwaram, Dwarkadhish, Somnath, Nageshwar, Jagannath Puri, Baba Mahakal, Shirdi, Tamkeshwaram, Tirupati Balaji, Ayodhya, Mata Vaishno Devi, Pushkar, Fatehpur Sikri, Golden Temple in Amritsar, Kartarpur Sahib, Mathura-Vrindavan, and Haridwar. Eligible travelers can choose their preferred pilgrimage destination, and the government covers the expenses for the visit.

To participate in these pilgrimages, all pilgrims need to apply through the online portal. After scrutinizing the applications, the Delhi government arranges for comfortable trains to take them to their desired pilgrimage destinations.