The first batch of 150 pilgrims from Telangana left for Saudi Arabia for the annual Haj pilgrimage on Wednesday. The pilgrims departed from Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport for Jeddah on a special flight operated by Vistara Airlines.
According to an IANS report, the pilgrims embarked on their journey amid the chanting of 'Talbiyah', which is a special prayer invoked during the Haj pilgrimage.
Earlier, the buses carrying the pilgrims were flagged off by state Home Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali and state Haj Committee chairman Mohammed Saleem at Haj House in Hyderabad.
Officials said this year approximately 7,000 pilgrims, including pilgrims from certain districts of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra, will depart from Hyderabad.
Like previous years, the Haj House has been converted into an embarkation point for the pilgrims. The Haj committee made all necessary arrangements, including food and accommodation, for the pilgrims who arrived from various districts of Telangana.
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At Haj House, various departments offered services such as vaccination, passport distribution, customs clearance, baggage screening, and currency exchange under one roof. Boarding passes for the pilgrims were also issued at the Haj House.
Pilgrims from different districts of Telangana and neighbouring states continued to arrive at the Haj House throughout the day. The Haj camp, which commenced on June 5, will be operational for 18 days.
Vistara Airlines will operate 46 special flights for Haj pilgrims from Hyderabad until June 22. Three Haj flights are scheduled daily from June 8 onwards.
Last year, a total of 3,016 pilgrims from Telangana performed Haj. In 2022, the Haj pilgrimage commenced after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid pandemic.
Saudi Arabia did not allow pilgrims from other countries to participate in Haj in 2020 and 2021 as a precautionary measure.
In 2022, the Haj quota was reduced due to Covid protocols. However, this year, the Saudi authorities have restored the pre-Covid quota.
Approximately 1.75 lakh pilgrims from India will be performing Haj this year, which is a significant increase compared to the previous year. This restoration of the Haj quota is a positive development, allowing a larger number of Indian pilgrims to embark on this sacred journey.