Rajasthan News: Joraram Kumawat, the Minister of Devasthan of Rajasthan, has instructed officials to ensure smooth and seamless facilitation of the online application process for the Rajasthan Government’s Senior Citizen Pilgrimage Scheme 2026.
Under the scheme, senior citizens aged 60 years or above would be eligible to take a pilgrimage to visit major religious sites in India and abroad at government expenses.
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Approximately 50,000 seniors would travel in India by train to major religious destinations across India. In addition, 6,000 pilgrims will be flown to Nepal to visit the revered Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu.
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Domestic Train Pilgrimage
Pilgrims will have the opportunity to visit sacred sites such as Haridwar and Rishikesh in Uttarakhand, Ayodhya and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, Mathura and Vrindavan associated with Lord Krishna, and Dwarka and Somnath in Gujarat. Southern and eastern circuits are equally represented, with Tirupati, Rameswaram, Kamakhya, Gangasagar and Jagannath Puri included in the itinerary.
Nepal Air Pilgrimage
Selected pilgrims will be flown to Kathmandu to visit the Pashupatinath Temple, one of the most significant Hindu shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva. The government will oversee the entire process, ensuring that logistics, accommodation and on-ground arrangements are handled seamlessly.
The government will bear the entire cost of travel, accommodation and associated arrangements. Each pilgrimage will be accompanied by doctors, nursing staff and trained escorts. In the case of train journeys, personnel will be present in every coach to manage logistics and respond to emergencies. Air travel will also include government escorts to assist pilgrims throughout the trip.
The application process will be conducted online. The final list of selected pilgrims will be published on official government portals, including the District Collector’s office website and the Devasthan Department. Applicants over the age of 70 (as on April 1, 2025) may bring an assistant aged between 21 and 50 years to support them during the journey.
Applicants must submit a medical fitness certificate issued by a government medical officer, confirming that they are physically and mentally capable of undertaking the journey. Jan Aaadhar card is mandatory to avail these pilgrimages.
Additionally, applicants are required to provide the names and contact details of two emergency contacts. This ensures that authorities can quickly reach family members if needed during the journey.
