Habishyali Yojana 2026: Online Registration from Oct 6 — Eligibility, 2,500 Seats, How to Apply
Every year, when the Kartik month arrives, Puri fills up with elderly women in plain white sarees. They are the Habishyalis — women who leave their homes for a month to live a simple, devout life near the Jagannath Temple, eating habisha anna and spending their days in prayer.
October 6, 2026 Update: Registration is NOW OPEN — the portal went live today at 10:00 AM (IST). Only 2,500 seats on first-come-first-served basis; the link closes automatically once filled. If you are eligible, register now.
For 2026, the Odisha government has announced its official Habishyali arrangement again. And this time the entire registration is online — no queues at any office, no paper forms.
Online registration opened on 6 October 2026 at 10:00 AM and is currently open — only 2,500 women will be accommodated. Seats are allotted on a first-come, first-served basis. So if you — or an elderly woman in your family — want to be part of it, waiting till the last day is not an option. There may not even be a last day.
Here is everything you need to know: who can apply, what the government provides free of cost, and exactly how to register the moment the portal opens.
The scheme itself isn’t new. It was started by the previous BJD government under former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik — who dedicated a seven-storey building in Puri to accommodate 1,000 Habishyalis — and the current government has continued it every year since.
Habishyali Yojana 2026 — Key Dates and Seat Limit
Sort the dates out first. Everything else depends on them.
| Event | Date / Detail |
|---|---|
| Online registration opens | 6 October 2026, 10:00 AM (IST) |
| Registration closes | When 2,500 seats are filled — no fixed last date |
| Kartik month (stay period) | 26 October – 24 November 2026 |
| Total seats | 2,500 |
| Registration portal | edistrict.odisha.gov.in |
Read that second row again. There is no announced last date. The portal shuts the moment the 2,500th application is accepted. In practice, the window could close within hours of opening — it has happened with popular government quotas before. Plan to apply at 10 AM itself.
Who Can Apply? Eligibility Criteria for Habishyali Yojana 2026
The criteria announced by the Puri district administration are straightforward:
- Widowed women up to 70 years of age
- Married women between 50 and 70 years of age
- Must be physically and mentally fit to observe the Kartika Brata for the full month
- Must be a resident of Odisha — women from all 30 districts can apply
- First-time applicants get priority over women who have availed the scheme in previous years
One clarification worth making: most announcements describe the widow criterion simply as “up to 70 years”, without mentioning a lower age limit. We have kept the wording exactly as the majority of official reports state it, instead of guessing.
And the fitness condition is not a formality. A month of the Habishyali routine — early mornings, temple visits, simple food — genuinely demands stamina. Apply only if the health part is honestly manageable.
Benefits — What Selected Women Get Free of Cost
This is what makes the scheme meaningful for elderly women who could never afford a month in Puri on their own:
- Free accommodation at three locations in Puri — Brundabati Niwas, Municipal Kalyan Mandap, and the Railway Tourist Complex
- Special darshan arrangements at the Srimandir (Jagannath Temple)
- Free Abadha (Mahaprasad) every day during the stay
- Volunteers to help with accommodation and to keep the darshan orderly
- Healthcare support for the women during their stay
Several departments are coordinating the arrangements — accommodation, temple darshan, food, health, and volunteers. The announcement was made by Puri ADM Sarat Chandra Behera at a press conference at the Circuit House, Puri.
How to Register Online for Habishyali Yojana 2026
Registration happens only on the Odisha e-District portal: edistrict.odisha.gov.in. There is no offline application and no form to collect from any office. If someone tells you otherwise, they are wrong.
Here is the process, step by step:
- Open edistrict.odisha.gov.in on 6 October at or after 10:00 AM. The Habishyali registration link goes live at that time — opening the portal earlier will not show it, so do not panic if you check at 9:55 and find nothing.
- Find the Habishyali Yojana 2026 registration link on the portal homepage or services section.
- Fill in the application form carefully — name, age, district, address, and contact details. Double-check the mobile number; it is usually how further communication happens.
- Submit the form and save the acknowledgement or reference number. Take a screenshot. If the portal is slow in the first hour — and with 2,500 seats on the line, it might be — do not refresh blindly and lose a half-filled form.
A practical tip: keep the applicant’s details written down on paper before you sit down to apply. With seats filling on first-come basis, the minutes you spend hunting for a date of birth or an address are minutes someone else uses to take a seat.
How the Selection Works
There is no lottery and no merit list here. The rules are simple:
- Applications are accepted first-come, first-served until 2,500 seats are filled
- First-time applicants get preference over women who participated in earlier years
- Only online applications through the e-District portal are accepted — nothing on paper counts
Important Points to Remember
- The special arrangements — free stay, special darshan, Mahaprasad — are only for registered Habishyalis. Registration is the ticket; without it, none of this applies.
- Other elderly devotees who visit Puri during Kartik on their own will get facilitated darshan, but not the special facilities reserved for the 2,500 registered women.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Habishyali Yojana 2026 registration open?
Registration opened on 6 October 2026 at 10:00 AM (IST) on edistrict.odisha.gov.in and is currently open. It closes automatically once all 2,500 seats are filled.
How many seats are available?
2,500 in total. Registration closes automatically once all seats are filled — there is no fixed last date.
Who is eligible for Habishyali 2026?
Widowed women up to 70 years of age, and married women between 50 and 70, who are residents of Odisha and physically and mentally fit to observe the month-long Kartika Brata. First-time applicants get priority.
On which portal do I apply?
Only on the Odisha e-District portal — edistrict.odisha.gov.in. There is no offline mode.
What does the government provide free of cost?
Accommodation at three Puri locations (Brundabati Niwas, Municipal Kalyan Mandap, Railway Tourist Complex), special Srimandir darshan, free Abadha Mahaprasad daily, volunteers, and healthcare support.
What if the seats fill before I manage to apply?
Unfortunately, nothing — the 2,500 cap is fixed and allotment is strictly first-come, first-served. This is why applying right at 10 AM on 6 October matters so much.
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