Title - After Rameshwaram, MP to send second pilgrims' train to Ajmer Sharif

Bhopal: After the first pilgrimage train under the Mukhya Mantri Teerth Darshan Yojana chugged off with nearly a thousand elderly Hindus to Rameshwaram on Monday evening, the Madhya Pradesh government has decided to send the second train under the scheme to Ajmer Sharif on September 13.The government will send a total 977 elderly pilgrims from Bhopal, Hoshangabad and Ujjain divisions for the journey to Ajmer Sharif. Later, 19 more trains will leave from various district and divisional headquarters between September 20 and 31 to take senior citizens to various places of pilgrimage.Ajmer Sharif pilgrimage journey will include 48 pilgrims from Rajgarh district, 71 from Vidisha, 244 from Bhopal, 63 from Sehore, 58 from Raisen, 18 from Betul, 16 from Harda, 25 from Hoshangabad, 110 from Ujjain, 81 from Shajapur, 78 from Dewas, 72 from Ratlam, 61 from Mandsaur and 32 from Neemuch. As many as 21 attendants will be on the train to accompany the pilgrims to assist them. Senior BJP leader LK Advani had on Monday launched the Madhya Pradesh government's much-touted Mukhymantri Teerth Darshan Yojana (CM's pilgrimage programme) for senior citizens from Habibganj railway station.The first batch of 984 pilgrims left for Rameshwaram.Under the scheme, 60,000 old people (60 and above), of different religions -- who are not income tax payers -- would be taken to pilgrimage this year. MP government and Indian Railways Catering & Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) would take care of journey and other needs of the pilgrims like - food, insurance, medical treatment, guide and other facilities, officials said.

Pilgrims would be taken to Badrinath, Kedarnath, Jagannath Puri, Dwarkapuri, Haridwar, Amarnath, Vaishnodevi, Shirdi, Tirupati, Ajmer Sharif, Kashi (Varanasi), Gaya, Amritsar, Rameshwaram, Sammved-Shikhar, Shravanabelgola and Velankanni Church, Nagapattnam ( Tamil Nadu) under the pilgrimage scheme.

As many as 133 pilgrims from Rajgarh district, 126 from Vidisha, 204 from Bhopal, 113 from Sehore, 115 from Raisen, 136 from Betul, 49 from Harda and 107 pilgrims from Hoshangabad district will go on the maiden journey to Rameshwaram under Mukhyamantri Teerth-Darshan Yojna.

The train will return to Bhopal in the night of September 8. During the return journey, it will also halt at Betul and Hoshangabad stations.

The pilgrims have been selected by district collector. Entire responsibility of the journey will rest with IRCTC. Arrangements for pilgrims' food, tea, snacks, lodging, conveyance to religious place and guide will also be made.