Chennai, Nov 10 (PTI) The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday invited applications from Buddhist, Jain, and Sikh communities to provide them with financial assistance for visiting their respective pilgrimage sites during the current financial year.
Under this welfare scheme, a total financial assistance of Rs 12 lakh has been sanctioned to benefit 120 pilgrims who include 50 Buddhists, 50 Jains, and 20 Sikhs from the state. Each selected individual will receive a subsidy of Rs 10,000 to support the journey, the government said in a release here.
The designated pilgrimage destinations include Buddhism: Bodh Gaya and Rajgir Vaishali in Bihar, Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh, Sarnath Temple in Varanasi, and Lumbini in Nepal; Jainism: 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; and Sikhism: Amritsar, Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib, and Takht Sri Damdama Sahib in Punjab; Takht Sri Hazur Sahib (Maharashtra), as well as prominent Gurudwaras in Pakistan.
Eligible applicants can collect the application forms free of cost from the District Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare Offices functioning across all district collectorates in the state. Alternatively, the forms can be downloaded from the official website: www.bcmbcmw.tn.gov.in the release said.
Duly filled-in applications along with the necessary supporting documents must be sent to the Commissioner, Department of Minorities Welfare, Kalasmahal Heritage Building, First Floor, Chepauk, Chennai - 600 005. The deadline for submitting the applications is January 31, 2027.
