Dikhyaa Mohanty 
As part of the seventh phase of the Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana (BNTYY) (elderly Citizen Pilgrimage Scheme), 775 elderly persons from six districts in Odisha set out on a pilgrimage to Ayodhya and Varanasi today. The State Tourism Department and Railways are working together on the pilgrimage. The seventh phase of the program was introduced by Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, who said it aimed to satisfy older folks’ religious ambitions. The pilgrims left Bhubaneswar with a group of twenty-five administrative personnel.
As the honored guest, Uttar Pradesh Tourism and Culture Minister Jaibir Singh highlighted the Odisha-Uttar Pradesh cultural exchange program. He conveyed his hope that the advancement of both states’ cultures will help bring about a developed India by 2047. Prithviraj Harichandan and the Minister of Law and Excise commended the idea, describing it as a creative way for elderly people to achieve their goals in spite of financial limitations. Mahakalapada MLA Durga Prasanna Nayak and Sampada Chandra Swain, Minister for Industries and Skill Development, were among the other dignitaries in attendance. The Odisha government is working to give older citizens the chance to go to sacred places around India through the older Citizen Pilgrimage Scheme.
