My dream of taking elderly people on pilgrimage by flight has come true: CM Chouhan

    Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that our government had resolved to take the elders of the state on pilgrimage by flight. Today is the day for a resolution to be fulfilled and a dream to come true. He said that man, along with material progress, wants spiritual peace. India is a religion dominated country, pilgrimage in the path of devotion has been considered an effective way to see God. Pilgrimage by air has been started with the aim that our elders can attain spiritual peace by going on pilgrimage in less time conveniently. At present, one member from a family can go on pilgrimage by plane under the Mukhyamantri Teerth Darshan Yojana. From the next visit, arrangements will be made for more than one member from a family to go on pilgrimage, so that elders will be able to get the virtue of pilgrimage along with their spouse. Mukhyamantri Teerth Darshan Yojana by rail and plane will continue.

CM Chouhan was talking to the pilgrims on the launch of the journey by plane under the Mukhyamantri Teerth Darshan Yojana from Raja Bhoj airport. The Chief Minister inaugurated the Teerth Yatra scheme by lighting a lamp. Madhya Pradesh is the first state in the country to provide air travel to poor elderly pilgrims. 32 elderly pilgrims, including 24 male and 8 female pilgrims, participated in the first pilgrimage to Prayagraj by plane, welcomed the elderly pilgrims by presenting them with shawls and flowers and garlanding them.

CM Chouhan said that so far 7.82 lakh elderly people have gone on pilgrimage by rail under the scheme. The sequence of pilgrimages by plane will continue. Along with Prayagraj, such yatras will continue to be organized to Shirdi, Mathura-Vrindavan, Gangasagar by plane.

72-year-old Smt. Siya Kumari Sharma, a resident of Bairagarh Ward No. 2, says that she does not have any child. She could not have imagined even in her dreams that she would travel by plane and that too to Prayagraj. She has also visited Tirupati Balaji 3 years ago under the Mukhya Mantri Teerth-Darshan Yojana. She emotionally said that I do not have any child, so what since Chief Minister Shivraj is playing the role of my son. May God always keep him happy.

Pilgrim Umesh Singh Nagar, age 72 years, village Harrakheda Berasia said that an ordinary farmer like me could not even imagine that he would ever go on a pilgrimage sitting in an aeroplane. When I got a call from the Janpad office that you would be taken on a pilgrimage to Prayagraj by aeroplane, I could not believe it. It was like a golden dream. I had never thought that the government would get air travel done. The government got Jagannath Puri’s pilgrimage done by rail 5 years ago. Today I am going to Prayagraj by aeroplane. I heartily bless and thank Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his entire family.