The State Government has announced the schedule for the Chief Minister Pilgrimage Scheme for the period October 2015 to March 2016. There are 25 journeys in the programme announced by the Chhattisgarh State Social Welfare Department, officials stated.
The Directorate officers said that under the scheme, about 25,000 pilgrims will visit various religious places in 25 tours. The pilgrimage will start from October 3 and March 30, 2016. As per the tentative schedule 505 pilgrims from Bastar district, 170 from Dantewada district, 166 from Bijapur district and 159 from Sukma district will begin Janmabhoomi pilgrimage.
They will be on a four-day tour from 3 October from Raipur. About 566 pilgrims from Janjgir-Champa , 434 pilgrims from Korba will go on a Gangasagar, Birla Mandir and Kaalighat tour. It will be a four-day tour from 9 October from Korba . About 766 pilgrims from Bilaspur district and 234 pilgrims from Mungeli district will visit Bodh Gaya, Sarnath and Nalanda on 5-day tour from 15 October. They will board the train from Bilaspur.
About 630 pilgrims from Raigarh district and 370 pilgrims from Jashpur district will go on a 8-day tour to Tirupati, Madural and Rameshwaram from Raigarh on 24 October. From Korea district 229 pilgrims, Surajpur district 252 pilgrims, Balrampur district 230 citizens and Surguja district 289 pilgrims will tour Vaishnodevi, Raghunath mandir , Badhebahu for seven days.
They will board at Ambikapur on November 3. From Raipur district 653 pilgrims, Balodabazar district 347 pilgrims will visit for 3-days Baijnath Dham, Bajrangbali Mandir and Anukulan Thakur Ji Mandir from November 19. About one thousand physically-handicapped citizens from various parts of Chhattisgarh will tour Ujjain, Omkareshwar and Maheshwar for four days from December 1. They will board from Bialspur and other places.