Tamil Nadu Invites Applications for Pilgrimage Subsidy Scheme for Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs
State government invites applications for financial assistance to 120 pilgrims, with the last date for submission set as January 31, 2027.
CHENNAI, Nov 10: The Tamil Nadu government has invited applications from members of the Buddhist, Jain and Sikh communities for financial assistance to undertake pilgrimages to important religious destinations in India and abroad during the current financial year.
According to an official government release, Rs 12 lakh has been allocated under the welfare initiative to support 120 beneficiaries from the three communities. The assistance will cover 50 Buddhist pilgrims, 50 Jain pilgrims and 20 Sikh pilgrims, with each selected applicant eligible for a subsidy of Rs 10,000 towards travel expenses.
The scheme covers several prominent religious destinations associated with the respective faiths.
For Buddhist pilgrims, the approved destinations include Bodh Gaya and Rajgir Vaishali in Bihar, Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh, Sarnath Temple in Varanasi and Lumbini in Nepal.
Jain applicants can undertake pilgrimages to Dilwara Temple, Ranakpur Jain Temple and Jaisalmer Jain Temple in Rajasthan, Shikharji in Jharkhand, Palitana in Gujarat, Pawapuri Jain Temple in Bihar and Shravanabelagola in Karnataka.
For members of the Sikh community, the eligible destinations include Amritsar, Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib and Takht Sri Damdama Sahib in Punjab, along with Takht Sri Hazur Sahib in Maharashtra and prominent Gurudwaras in Pakistan.
The government has made application forms available free of charge through the District Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare Offices located at district collectorates across Tamil Nadu.
Applicants can also download the prescribed forms from the department’s official website, www.bcmbcmw.tn.gov.in.
Completed application forms, accompanied by the required supporting documents, must be submitted to the Commissioner, Department of Minorities Welfare, Kalas Mahal Heritage Building, First Floor, Chepauk, Chennai – 600 005.
The last date for receiving applications is January 31, 2027.
The initiative aims to extend financial support to members of minority communities and make visits to significant religious and spiritual destinations more accessible.
