Shri Jagannath Darshan Yojana (SJDY) 2026-27: Who Can Go, What You Get and How People Are Picked
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Ask any elderly person in a remote Odisha village what they still want to do in life, and a good number will say the same thing: see Mahaprabhu at Puri once. Plenty never do. The bus fare is one problem, but so is the fear of travelling alone at 70 with a weak knee and no one to hold your bag.
The Shri Jagannath Darshan Yojana, usually shortened to SJDY, tries to take all of that off the family’s shoulders. The state government puts selected pilgrims on a bus, feeds them, insures them, takes them to Srimandir and brings them home. On September 20, 2026, Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida virtually flagged off the first batch of this year, 910 people from Malkangiri, Koraput and Nabarangpur.
I have gone through the official guidelines material, the Tourism Department’s circulars as reported in the press, and the launch coverage to put together what actually matters for a family trying to figure out whether their parent or grandmother qualifies.
A quick note: this is an independent website and has no connection with the Government of Odisha. The official link are at the bottom, and I’d suggest checking them before you act on anything here.
SJDY in a nutshell
| Scheme | Shri Jagannath Darshan Yojana (SJDY) |
| Run by | Odisha Tourism Department, OSRTC and the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration |
| Who it is for | Economically weaker senior citizens (60 to 75) and widows |
| What you get | A free, organised pilgrimage to Shree Jagannath Temple, Puri |
| 2026-27 target | Around 30,000 pilgrims |
| Overall target | Around 1 lakh pilgrims |
| Valid till | March 31, 2029 |
| Phone | 0674-2432177 or 0674-2431896 |
How the scheme came about
The announcement came in the February 2025 budget speech, when Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi set aside Rs 30 crore for it. He said every Odia wants a glimpse of Lord Jagannath in his lifetime, and that the poorest devotees should not be left out. Then came a long gap while the guidelines were written and revised. Districts were told in January 2026 to collect consent forms on pension distribution day, and the formal launch finally happened on February 13, 2026, with buses leaving from Nabarangpur, Sambalpur, Bhadrak, Berhampur, Baripada and other places.
The 2025-26 target was about 5,000 pilgrims. For 2026-27 the number jumps to 30,000, and that is the round now underway.
What is happening right now
In the first phase of 2026-27, arrangements are in place for 10,434 pilgrims from 13 districts. Each bus carries roughly 35 people, with three escort officers and a paramedic travelling along.
There is one thing I couldn’t settle. Reports disagree on when this first phase ends. Kalinga TV and IndiaVerve say October 17, while OrissaPost says October 26. Your district Tourism Development Officer will know the real date for your batch, so ask there instead of trusting any article, this one included.
What pilgrims get
Everything is free for the selected person. In practice that means:
- Bus travel from the gram panchayat to the block or district headquarters, then an air-conditioned OSRTC bus on to Puri
- Four vegetarian meals a day (breakfast, lunch, tea with snacks in the evening, and dinner) plus Mahaprasad
- A health check before leaving, and medical help on the way
- Group health insurance up to Rs 3 lakh, with the premium paid by OSRTC
- A kit bag holding toiletries, a cap, a reflective safety item, a water bottle and a few souvenirs
- An ID card
- A bed at Brundabati Nivas in Puri if your district gets an overnight stay
- A cultural programme in the evening
- Darshan at Srimandir, arranged with the temple administration
- A ride back to your own gram panchayat
Who is eligible
The guidelines, as summarised on the Government of India’s Vikaspedia portal and in the launch reports, ask for the following. You must be a permanent resident of Odisha and belong to an economically weaker family. Senior citizens aged 60 to 75 qualify, and so do widows up to 75. You need to be fit enough to travel, without any communicable disease. And you must not have used SJDY or a similar Odisha pilgrimage scheme in the last five years. Each person can go only once while the scheme runs.
Nobody is forced. You go only if you give written consent.
How do you prove you are economically weaker? Any one of these works: an Antyodaya or Annapurna card, an NFSA ration card, an old age or widow pension record, or an MGNREGS job card.
A small warning on the widow rule. The CM’s launch statement and Vikaspedia say “up to 75”. A couple of news reports say widows of any age. If you are a younger widow, don’t assume either way, and ask your Panchayat Executive Officer (PEO) to check the rule.
Documents to keep ready
The application form in the guidelines is blunt about this: forms without the required enclosures are rejected. So gather these before you walk into the panchayat office.
- Age proof (Aadhaar, Voter ID or birth certificate)
- Domicile proof (Aadhaar, Voter ID, land record or something similar)
- One of the cards listed above, as proof of economic condition
- For widows, the husband’s death certificate and a legal heir certificate
- A medical fitness certificate, if applicable
- The self declaration form (Annexure III in the guidelines)
- A passport size photo
- A mobile number, and one more number for emergencies
If a certificate is missing, a service centre can usually point you in the right direction. We have a separate piece on Seva Setu Kendra that explains what such centres help with.
How people actually get selected
This is the part that confuses families, because most of us expect a website with a “Register” button. SJDY mostly doesn’t work that way.
The Tourism Department first fixes a target for every district, block and gram panchayat. Then the state looks at its Social Security Pension database. Anyone aged 60 to 75 on an old age pension, and widows on central or state widow pensions, are treated as automatic beneficiaries. Automatic, but with a catch: they still have to say yes. On pension distribution day, the PEO explains the scheme and collects a signed consent from those who want to go.
What if you don’t draw a pension? You are not shut out. You can hand in a written consent along with documents that prove your age, domicile and economic condition to the PEO, who will consider your case.
The offline forms don’t just sit in a file. According to the guidelines, the Block Development Officer or Executive Officer verifies them and uploads them to the SJDY Travel Management Portal, then certifies that nothing is duplicated or ineligible. A few reports also mention online applications through that portal, so ask your PEO whether your district has that route open.
When there are more applicants than seats, a computer draw (e-randomisation) decides. It produces three lists: a Confirmed List, a Waiting List and an Other Verified List. If somebody drops out, refuses or can’t be found, the seat goes to the Waiting List first and then to the Other Verified List. Districts were asked to finish this validation by July 15, 2026. After the BDO’s final check, the list goes to the district administration and the transport side, and they plan the trip.
What the trip looks like
You start at your gram panchayat, and a bus takes you to a gathering point at the block or district headquarters. Before departure, a medical officer checks your blood pressure, pulse, temperature and oxygen level. Anyone found unfit, or carrying a communicable disease, is not allowed to board and is helped to get home. It sounds harsh, but on a long group journey with elderly people it is probably the safer choice.
From there, OSRTC’s air-conditioned buses run to Puri. At Brundabati Nivas you get rest, meals and Mahaprasad, and local transport shuttles you between the Nivas and the temple. On the way back you are dropped at your own gram panchayat, and you are asked to fill a short feedback form on food, transport, accommodation and darshan.
Overnight stay or just a day trip?
It depends on where you live.
Pilgrims from 21 districts get one night in Puri: Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Boudh, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Deogarh, Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Balangir, Subarnapur, Angul, Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Balasore, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj.
People from nine districts, Puri, Khordha, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Dhenkanal, Kendrapara, Nayagarh, Bhadrak and Jajpur, make a day trip. They still get meals, washrooms and a rest at the Nivas, just no bed for the night.
What you sign up for
Before travelling, the pilgrim signs a declaration. In it you confirm that you are fit, that you are going of your own free will, that you will follow the travel advisory and listen to the escort officers, police and temple staff, and that you won’t wander off the programme. The form also says the government can’t be held responsible for unforeseen incidents. That is exactly why the health check and the Rs 3 lakh insurance matter.
Mistakes families make
Waiting for a website is the big one. Go to the PEO or the block office first.
The next is assuming that being on the pension list is enough. It isn’t, since consent is compulsory. Another is papers: a widow without a legal heir certificate can see her form rejected on that alone. Health is a fourth. If someone has a heart or kidney problem that makes travel risky, expect it to come up at the screening.
And please, do not pay anybody. Official sources describe this as a government arranged free trip. If a stranger offers to “put your name on the list” for money, walk away, and never share your Aadhaar number or an OTP with random websites.
Questions people ask
What does SJDY stand for? Shri Jagannath Darshan Yojana.
Can I go more than once? No. Each person can use the benefit once.
Do I have to apply online? For most people, no. They are picked from the pension database and give written consent at the panchayat. Offline forms are uploaded by the BDO or Executive Officer. Some reports mention online applications on the Travel Management Portal, so check locally.
I don’t get a pension. Am I out? Not at all. Submit written consent and valid documents to your PEO.
Can a relative come along? The scheme is meant for the selected beneficiary. The material I found doesn’t mention companions, so ask your district office before planning anything.
Is the food vegetarian? Yes. Four vegetarian meals a day, plus Mahaprasad.
Is there insurance? Yes, group health cover up to Rs 3 lakh.
Who do I call? The Odisha Tourism Department on 0674-2432177 or 0674-2431896, or write to info@odishatourism.gov.in. Your Gram Panchayat Executive Officer can also help locally.
Till when does the scheme run? March 31, 2029.
Other Odisha schemes
SJDY is one of several welfare schemes the state is running. If you are looking for support aimed at women, our guide to Subhadra Yojana is a good place to start, and more scheme updates are in the blog section and Education and scholership scheme.
To sum up
If an elderly parent or a widowed relative of yours might qualify, the first step is simple: meet the PEO, give your consent in writing and make sure the documents are complete. Then wait for the district to confirm your batch. A lot of eligible people miss out only because nobody at home told them the scheme exists, so if you know someone in a village who could benefit, tell them.
