50% Concession for Senior Citizens Makes Goa’s Ekadasha Teertha Yatra More Accessible

First tour under the initiative sees 27 women visit four temples in a single day

Goaa Khabar: Goa’s Ekadasha Teertha initiative has begun translating its vision of making the state’s spiritual and cultural heritage more accessible into an on-ground experience, with the first tour under the initiative being flagged with a group of 27 women, who travelled across four important temples in Goa as part of the one-day spiritual circuit.

A key feature of the Ekadasha Teertha initiative is the 50% concession offered to senior citizens, aimed at making the experience more accessible and affordable for an important segment of travellers. The initiative brings together a curated circuit of 11 revered temples across Goa, offering visitors an opportunity to explore the state’s spiritual heritage through a structured travel experience.

Speaking on the broader vision behind the initiative, Hon’ble Minister for Tourism, Shri Rohan A. Khaunte, said, “Goa’s identity is deeply rooted in its centuries-old traditions, its historic temples and its unique heritage. The Ekadasha Teertha Yatra reflects our vision of presenting a more holistic experience of Goa, where visitors can immerse themselves in the State’s rich spiritual and cultural legacy. As we continue to diversify Goa’s tourism offerings, such initiatives reinforce our commitment to sustainable, experience-led tourism that celebrates the soul of Goa.”

The first tour was flagged off from Tambdi Surla and covered four temples: Shree Mahadev Temple (Tambdi Surla), Shree Devkikrishna Devasthan (Marcel), Shree Mahaganapati Devasthan (Khandola) and Shree Anant Devasthan (Savoi-Verem). The tour gave participants an opportunity to visit multiple places of worship in a single day while travelling together with organised arrangements and facilities.

Hon’ble Chairman of Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC), Shri Kedar J. Naik, said, “The Ekadasha Teertha Yatra is designed to make Goa’s spiritual and cultural heritage more accessible through a curated and organised travel experience. The successful first tour is an encouraging step towards taking this initiative to more visitors and enabling them to discover Goa beyond its conventional tourism offerings.”

For the 27 women who participated in the tour, the experience was also an opportunity to step out together and discover Goa’s lesser-explored spiritual destinations. One participant said, “We never imagined that we would get an opportunity to participate in Ekadasha Teerth Yatra. Through this initiative, we were able to visit four temples in a single day, something we never thought would be possible. We truly enjoyed the journey and the experience of visiting these sacred places together.”

Another participant highlighted the comfort and sense of togetherness during the journey, saying, “As women, it was especially nice to step out together, meet other women and share this experience. The arrangements and facilities were very good, and everything was organised well throughout the journey. We would be happy to be part of more such initiatives in the future.”

The Ekadasha Teertha initiative is positioned as an effort to encourage travellers to look beyond Goa’s conventional tourism circuits and experience the state through its temples, traditions and spiritual heritage. With the senior citizen concession and organised spiritual tours, the initiative also seeks to make these experiences more inclusive and accessible to different sections of visitors.

The successful completion of the first tour marks the beginning of the initiative’s rollout, with more travellers expected to experience Goa’s 11-temple spiritual circuit in the coming months.