Inaugurating the commencement of the sacred journey to Hajj 2024 from Jammu and Kashmir, the first contingent of 322 pilgrims convened at the Hajj House in Srinagar on Thursday. Their voyage to the revered city of Madina is scheduled to commence from the Srinagar International Airport later in the afternoon.
Simultaneously, the second assembly of pilgrims is slated to embark on their journey under the nocturnal sky, adhering to their designated departure time.
Prior to their departure, meticulous arrangements were orchestrated to ensure the comfort and sustenance of the pilgrims at the Hajj House Bemina, encompassing accommodations and provisions. Specially designated SRTC buses have been enlisted to ferry the pilgrims from the Hajj House to the airport, while check-in counters have been established at the Hajj House for meticulous screening and document authentication.
Infused with fervor, the pilgrims, accompanied by their kin, reverberated the resounding chant of “Labaik Allah Huma Labak,” the sacred invocation ordained for this auspicious occasion. The halls of Hajj House Bemina resounded with fervent supplications and devotional hymns, encapsulating the satisfaction and contentment of the pilgrims with the arrangements made.
Stringent security measures were enforced to safeguard the departure proceedings, with additional security personnel deployed along the airport route and surrounding the Hajj House.
This year, a total of 7008 pilgrims hailing from Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are poised to undertake the sacred pilgrimage of Hajj, inclusive of 3264 female pilgrims, with an additional 38 women embarking on the journey without a Mehram (close relative).
Shujaat Ahmad Qureshi, the Executive Officer of the Haj Committee, elucidated that 6,400 pilgrims are slated to depart from the Srinagar Airport, while over 500 pilgrims opt for embarkation points in Delhi and Mumbai daily from May 9 to 15. Subsequently, one flight will embark from the Srinagar airport daily from the 15th to the 25th of this month.
The pilgrimage from Jammu and Kashmir witnesses a decline in numbers this year, with over 12,000 pilgrims undertaking the sacred journey in the preceding year.