Cultural consciousness takes flight in Chhattisgarh’s Silver Jubilee Year — 850 devotees from Raipur division depart for Ayodhya; CM Vishnu Deo Sai extends best wishes
Raipur (thestates.news) | In a significant initiative to honour the devotion and spiritual sentiments of the people, the Chhattisgarh government on Tuesday flagged off a special train under the ‘Shri Ramlala Darshan Yojana’ from Raipur Railway Station carrying 850 devotees from Raipur division to Ayodhya Dham. Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai conveyed his heartfelt wishes and prayed for a safe and blessed journey for the pilgrims.
CM Sai remarked that this sacred initiative to provide free darshan of ‘Bhancha Ram’ — Shri Ramlala — is an ongoing and sacred endeavour. He said the scheme embodies Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s guarantee to provide every Indian an opportunity to visit the birthplace of Lord Ram.
Under the Shri Ramlala Darshan Yojana, the state had initially set a target of facilitating pilgrimage for 20,000 devotees by March 2024. However, with overwhelming public enthusiasm, unwavering faith, and the government’s commitment, over 22,000 pilgrims have already availed the journey. As an added spiritual bonus, pilgrims are also being taken to visit the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
CM Sai further informed that ₹36 crore has been allocated for this scheme in the financial year 2025–26. In the last one and a half years alone, 27 special trains have departed from different divisions of the state, ferrying devotees to Ayodhya.
He underlined that the Ramlala Darshan Yatra is not just a religious tour — it is a cultural movement aimed at reviving and reinforcing Chhattisgarh’s spiritual consciousness. The scheme especially benefits the elderly and underprivileged citizens, ensuring that every individual gets the chance to witness the sacred birthplace of Lord Ram at least once in their lifetime.
Initiated at the behest of CM Vishnu Deo Sai, the scheme has deeply resonated with the people of Chhattisgarh. Continuing this legacy, the first special train of FY 2025–26 was flagged off from Raipur station on Tuesday. Minister for Revenue, Sports, and Youth Welfare, Shri Tankram Verma, ceremonially waved the green flag at 1:00 PM. The platform number 7 at Raipur station echoed with chants of “Jai Shri Ram” as enthusiastic pilgrims, accompanied by their families, bid farewell in a spiritually charged atmosphere.
Pilgrims were welcomed with traditional Chhattisgarhi folk dances and music, while IRCTC representatives applied ceremonial tilaks as a mark of respect and hospitality.
The event was graced by MLAs Shri Purandar Mishra, Shri Motilal Sahu, Guru Khushwant Sahib; Chhattisgarh Tourism Board Chairman Shri Neelu Sharma; Civil Supplies Corporation Chairman Shri Sanjay Srivastava; State Waqf Board Chairman Dr. Salim Raj; Secretary of Culture and Tourism Dr. Rohit Yadav; Tourism Board Managing Director Shri Vivek Acharya; Raipur Collector Dr. Gaurav Singh; and several senior officials along with representatives of Railways and IRCTC.
It is noteworthy that the Shri Ramlala Darshan Yojana was conceptualised by CM Sai to ensure that every citizen of the state is granted the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit Ayodhya Dham. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on February 23, 2024, between Chhattisgarh Tourism Board and IRCTC to facilitate this vision. The scheme was formally launched on March 5, 2024, with the inaugural train flagged off by the CM himself from Raipur.
Subsequent trains have since been operated from Bilaspur, Sarguja, and the combined Durg-Bastar divisions. In the previous year alone, nearly 22,100 devotees travelled to Ayodhya under this scheme. Weekly trains from each division will continue as part of the ongoing implementation.
