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.
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.
Chouhan welcomed the elderly pilgrims by presenting them with shawls and flowers and garlanding them. He gave a replica of the boarding pass to the pilgrim Smt. Krishna Choubey symbolically. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan sought blessings from the elders. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan also got a group photo taken with the elderly pilgrims while the pilgrims entered the airport amidst beating of drums. The Chief Minister flagged off a regular Indigo flight carrying the elderly on pilgrimage to Prayagraj from the airport. Overwhelmed elderly people going to Prayagraj by plane blessed Chief Minister Shri Chouhan.
Pilgrimage gives one feeling of immersion in the devotion of God
Chouhan said that our elders are leaving for pilgrimage today by plane. It is believed that one becomes pure simply by taking the name of Ram from our mouth, heart becomes pure by Brahma Gyan, feet by going on pilgrimage and hands by doing charity. Pilgrimage has great importance in Indian culture. The three paths of attaining Bhagwat have been described as Bhakti Marg, Gyan Marg and Karma Marg respectively. Immersion in the devotion of God is the path of devotion, pilgrimage gives this feeling. The elders of the state are being sent by plane on a pilgrimage to Prayagraj, the confluence of Ganga-Yamuna-Saraswati rivers, to give them a sense of spiritual peace and joy.
Pilgrimage for the elderly by plane is an attempt to realize PM Modi’s vision that ‘those wearing slippers will also be able to travel by air.’
Chouhan said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that our government has made such arrangements that even those wearing slippers will be able to travel by air. Making arrangements for pilgrimage by plane under the Mukhyamantri Teerth-Darshan Yojana is an attempt to make Prime Minister Shri Modi’s vision come true. These yatras will continue on a regular basis. He told that so far 7 lakh 82 thousand 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. Along with this, the works of development and welfare will continue to improve the lives of the people of the state.
Shivraj played the role of son
72-year-old 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. When corporator Kusum Chaturvedi informed her about this and got her to fill the form, her happiness knew no bounds. 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 Chouhan is playing the role of my son. May God always keep him happy and he may move ahead.
A poor farmer can’t even think of going on a pilgrimage by aeroplane
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. By the way, I have three sons and a daughter, all are good, but we do not have the capacity to board an aeroplane. 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.
There has never been such a Chief Minister who makes the public travel by aeroplane
Tikaram Sen, 78, of village Ronjia, Berasia, says that till date there has not been any Chief Minister who makes the poor go on pilgrimage by aeroplane. In Treta Yug, Shravan Kumar had made his parents sit on his shoulders for pilgrimage and today Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan is taking elders of the state for pilgrimage by aeroplane. Many thanks and blessings to him.
Will travel by air for the first time
Mangilal Nagar, 71, of Hinauti Sadak, Berasia, Shri Naresh Bhargava, 72, of Dillod Berasia, and Smt. Rajal Bai, 67, of Gondar Mau, say that they are very happy and excited today. They are going in an airplane for the first time and that too on a pilgrimage to Prayagraj. It is a happy and unforgettable moment in life. Everyone heartily thanks and blesses Chief Minister Shri Chouhan and the state government for this.
32 pilgrims of Bhopal district left by plane
32 pilgrims from Bhopal district took part in the first air journey under the Mukhya Mantri Teerth Darshan Yojana.
