Ten new pilgrimages included in Mukhya Mantri Teerth-Darshan Yojana

Bhopal: The Mukhya Mantri Teerth-Darshan Yojana has completed five years. Ten new pilgrimages Ganga-Sagar, Kamakhya Devi, Girnar Ji, Patna Sahib and Ujjain, Maihar, Shri Ramraja Orchha, Chitrakoot, Omkareshwar and Maheshwar of Madhya Pradesh have been included in the Yojana. Earlier the pilgrims have been taken to Badrinath, Kedarnath, Jagannath Puri, Dwarka Puri, Haridwar, Amarnath, Vaishno Devi, Shirdi, Tirupati, Ajmer Sharif, Ramdevra, Kashi, Gaya, Amritsar, Rameshwaram, Sammed Shikhar, Shravanbelgola and Telangani Church. In addition to this, there is provision for the pilgrims to visit Kailash Mansarovar, Hinglaj Devi Mandir and Nankana Sahib in Pakistan, Sita temple Ashok Vatika of Sri Lanka and Ankorvat temple in Cambodia.

In these five years of the Teerth-Darshan Yojana, 5 lakh 3 thousand senior citizens have so far reaped the benefit of Teerth-Darshan. At least 503 rail journeys have been organized for Teerth-Darshan. Recently Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has declared that the pilgrims who have completed five years will get another chance for Teerth-Darshan. The pilgrims will be given a kit of essential items besides a brochure with information of the historic and cultural significance of the destination spot. Religious leaders will also be included in the journey.

Under the Mukhya Mantri Teerth-Darshan Yojana, any person above 60 years of age and who is a domicile of Madhya Pradesh will be extended one-time assistance in a lifetime to visit a prescribed pilgrimage outside the state by the state government.-WTN