Shravan Tirthdarshan Yojna

What is Shravan Tirthdarshan Yojna?

Shravan Tirthdarshan Yojna is a pilgrimage travel assistance scheme of the Gujarat Pavitra Yatradham Vikas Board, the state body under the Government of Gujarat that develops and maintains Gujarat's holy sites. The scheme takes its name from Shravan, the son in the Ramayana who carried his ageing parents on a pilgrimage. The idea being that where a family cannot, the state helps senior citizens reach Gujarat's temples.

According to the Gujarat Pavitra Yatradham Vikas Board, the state bears 75% of the luxury bus fare for an eligible group of senior citizens. Where the group hires a private bus, the government pays 75% of whichever is lower: the actual private bus fare, or the equivalent GSRTC (ST) bus fare for the same route. That rule stops a group from inflating the claim by hiring an expensive coach.

Three limits define the scheme and every applicant should know them before planning:

• Group size: a minimum of 27 senior citizens must travel together. Individuals cannot claim.
• Duration: assistance covers a trip of at most 3 nights and 3 days.
• Frequency: the benefit is available once in a beneficiary's lifetime.

The Board lists eligible yatradhams inside Gujarat, including Somnath, Ambaji, Dwarka, Palitana, Girnar, Dakor, Shamlaji, Pavagadh, Bahucharaji and other temples on its circuit. The scheme is for travel within Gujarat; the Board runs separate schemes for Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and Sindhu Darshan for travel outside the state, with their own applications on the same portal.

Readers may find a differently-worded version of this scheme listed on the national myScheme portal under the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, quoting flat assistance of up to Rs 5,000 per person by ST bus and up to Rs 7,000 per person by private bus with a minimum group of 20, applied for offline at the District Social Welfare Office. Where the two descriptions differ, the Gujarat Pavitra Yatradham Vikas Board's own portal is the authority for current terms, and it is the Board that runs the registration and application system for Shravan Tirth travel today.

Who is eligible for Shravan Tirthdarshan Yojna?

You can travel under the scheme if:

• You are 60 years of age or above.
• You are a native and permanent resident of Gujarat.
• You are travelling as part of a group of at least 27 senior citizens.
• You are physically fit to undertake the journey.
• You have not previously availed the benefit under this scheme.
• Your booking is made through the Board's registration route or an authorised travel agent or organiser.

Couples: where a husband and wife travel together, at least one spouse must be 60 or above. This is the one relaxation on the age rule.

You cannot apply, or are not eligible, if:

• You are under 60 and are not the accompanying spouse of a pilgrim aged 60 or above.
• You are not a native of Gujarat. The scheme is for Gujarat's own senior citizens.
• You want to travel alone or in a group smaller than 27.
• You have already used the benefit once. It is a once-in-a-lifetime subsidy.
• You are planning a pilgrimage outside Gujarat, or a trip longer than 3 nights and 3 days, for which no assistance is payable under this scheme.
• You are not medically fit to travel; the scheme requires physical fitness for the journey.

What documents does the group need?

Keep the bus hire bill and the ticket or trip sheet from the journey itself. Reimbursement is calculated on actual fare against the ST fare benchmark, so the paperwork from the journey is what supports the final claim.

How to apply for Shravan Tirthdarshan Yojna

1. Open the Gujarat Pavitra Yatradham Vikas Board portal at yatradham.gujarat.gov.in and choose Shravan Tirth Registration to create a login for the group organiser.
2. Log in through Shravan Tirth Online Application and start a new application for the trip.
3. Enter the pilgrim list, name, address, district, date of birth and Aadhaar number for each of the 27 or more senior citizens travelling.
4. Enter the itinerary, naming the yatradhams to be visited within Gujarat and keeping the trip within 3 nights and 3 days.
5. Enter the bus details, whether the group travels by GSRTC (ST) bus or a private luxury bus — with the quoted fare, and the bank account for the reimbursement.
6. Upload the supporting documents, submit the application, and save the acknowledgement or application number.
7. Complete the journey as approved, then submit the fare bill and trip documents so the Board can compute and release 75% of the eligible fare.

How do I apply offline?

The Board publishes a Shravan Tirth Offline Application option under the Booking section of yatradham.gujarat.gov.in. Print the prescribed form, fill in the organiser's details and the full pilgrim list, attach self-attested copies of the age and residence proofs, sign it, and submit it to the office indicated on the form. Retain a photocopy of everything submitted, for an offline application, the retained copy is your only evidence of the filing date.

Who runs the scheme and where do I get help?

The Gujarat Pavitra Yatradham Vikas Board administers Shravan Tirthdarshan Yojna from Block 3 & 2, 1st floor, Dr. Jivraj Mehta Bhavan, Gandhinagar. The Board's published contact numbers are 079-23252459, 079-23252468 and 079-23252458, and its email is gpyvb@gujarat.gov.in.

The Board also runs several other schemes listed on the same portal; Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, Sindhu Darshan, wheelchair provision at yatradhams, e-rickshaw services, water ATMs and solar rooftops at pilgrimage sites, so make clear in any correspondence that your query concerns Shravan Tirthdarshan.

What commonly goes wrong with an application?

• Group short of 27 pilgrims. Applications with fewer travellers are not eligible. Organisers should over-recruit slightly, because dropouts are common in a group of this age profile.
• A pilgrim under 60 who is not a qualifying spouse. Every name on the list is checked against the date of birth; one ineligible traveller is removed from the calculation rather than sinking the whole group.
• Repeat beneficiary. Someone who travelled under the scheme before is struck off, because the benefit is once in a lifetime.
• Itinerary longer than 3 nights and 3 days, or including places outside Gujarat. Assistance is limited to the eligible portion.
• Private bus fare above the ST benchmark. The excess is simply not reimbursed, the group bears it.
• Mismatched pilgrim list. Names on the list must match the age and residence proofs exactly; spelling differences between Aadhaar and the ration card are a routine cause of a name being queried.

What should a group organiser plan for?

Organisers should budget for the full fare upfront, because the 75% share is reimbursement, not an advance. Collect Aadhaar and age proof from all 27 travellers before starting the application, since the online form asks for the complete list at once. Fix the itinerary around the Board's listed yatradhams, and confirm bus availability with GSRTC or the private operator before entering fare figures, since a fare that changes after submission means the claim has to be reconciled against the actual bill.