Gandhinagar, Feb 5 Over 1.5 lakh pilgrims have benefitted so far from the Gujarat government's Shravan Tirth Darshan Yojana to facilitate senior citizens aged 60 and above in visiting religious sites across the state.
According to a statement from the Gujarat Pavitra Yatradham Vikas Board, the state has allocated approximately Rs 1,128 lakh towards this initiative since its launch on May 1, 2017.
As per the scheme's guidelines, beneficiaries can undertake a pilgrimage within a limit of three days and three nights (72 hours) or up to 2,000 km.
The scheme only accepts group applications, with a minimum of 27 pilgrims per group, and does not entertain individual requests.
Additionally, the scheme provides non-AC super buses operated by the state transport (ST) department for pilgrimage travel.
Pilgrims must register offline to avail of the benefits. The initiative continues to support thousands of senior citizens in fulfilling their spiritual aspirations while promoting religious tourism in Gujarat.
Initially, the scheme offered a 50 per cent subsidy on bus fares, along with a daily allowance of Rs 50 for meals and Rs 50 for accommodation, with a total limit of Rs 300 per pilgrim for the entire journey. The scheme mandates group travel, requiring a minimum of 27 participants per group, and does not accept individual applications.
The pilgrimage duration is limited to three days and three nights (72 hours) or a maximum distance of 2,000 kilometres. In July 2022, the Gujarat government introduced several enhancements to the scheme, increasing the subsidy on bus fares from 50 per cent to 75 per cent and extending the permissible duration of the pilgrimage.
In addition to this, the government has allocated Rs 857.14 crore for the comprehensive development of secondary pilgrimage sites near major religious centres. This initiative aims to enhance infrastructure and amenities at these sacred destinations.
Development projects worth Rs 318.13 crore are underway at pilgrimage sites in Porbandar, Kachchh, Devbhumi Dwarka, and Patan districts. These projects include the Krishna-Rukshmani pilgrimage site in Madhavpur, Porbandar, with an investment of Rs 42.43 crore; a Rs 32.70 crore development project at Mata no Madh pilgrimage site in Kachchh; and a Rs 30 crore project at Narayan Sarovar in Kachchh.
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