Tag: Haj pilgrims

Haj pilgrim from Telangana passes away in Makkah

eddah: A Haj pilgrim from Telangana breathed her last after performing Jamarat—‘stoning of the devil’ ritual in Mina on Wednesday. Fatima Sarwar, a native of Sangareddy district, came along with her son Mir Majid Ali Azam for Haj.

On Wednesday she was returning to her accommodation after the ritual when she fell ill and died. Mir Majid Ali Azam is the owner of Zam Zam Dhaba, a popular restaurant located on the Hyderabad – Mumbai highway.

Telangana NRI activist Mozzam Ali Ifteqar is coordinating with the Indian Haj mission to complete formalities for the earliest burial of the deceased.

June 28, 2023
Saudi Arabia: In first, self-driving buses launched for Haj pilgrims

Riyadh: This Haj season marks a significant milestone as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Transport General Authority (TGA) for the first time launched a trial of self-driving electric buses to cater to the needs of pilgrims.

The TGA is committed to introducing innovative and eco-friendly transportation solutions, ensuring convenient travel options for the millions of worshippers visiting the holy sites.

The buses use artificial intelligence, cameras, and sensors to operate within the designated routes.Each bus has a capacity of 11 seats, can run for 6 hours per charge, and has a maximum speed of 30 kilometers per hour.

This step aims to simplify pilgrim movement and assess the feasibility of using advanced technologies.

Saudi Arabia expects more than two million pilgrims this season, reaching pre-pandemic numbers. The Kingdom has already welcomed 1,499,472 pilgrims during this year’s Haj, which begins on June 26.

June 23, 2023
Three batches of Haj pilgrims leave from Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Telangana State Haj Committee Chairman Mohammed Saleem flagged-off the 2nd, 3rd and 4th batches of Haj pilgrims of Telangana along with Haj Committee Members.

The pilgrims boarded the buses amid chanting of the special prayer called Talbiyah. Emotional scenes were witnessed at the Haj House as scores of relatives, friends and well-wishers bid adieu to the pilgrims. On this occasion, he described the pilgrims as guests of Allah and serving them was an honor for him. B Shafiullah, EO, said that the TS Haj Committee also makes arrangements for departure of Haj pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka State.

In these three flights, a total 450 pilgrims from Karnataka and Telangana State departed to Mecca. The Air Condition buses from RTC were sent from Haj House Nampally to the Haj terminal of RGIA in Shamshabad under police escort.

Syed Gulam Ahmed Hussain (Karimnagar), Syed IrfanulHaq (Karimnagar), Syed Nizamuddin (Narsingi), Irfan Shareef AEO, TS Haj Committee and others were also present on this occasion.

June 9, 2023
No separate terminal for Haj pilgrims at Hyderabad airport

Hyderabad: The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) has decided to abandon its plans for a separate terminal for Haj pilgrims. Last year, the airport was unable to provide this special facility due to ongoing expansion work.

However, breaking away from tradition, even for the upcoming Haj season in 2023, pilgrims will not be departing from a dedicated terminal.

The Hyderabad airport administration has clarified the new arrangements for Haj pilgrims. Instead of a separate terminal, they will now be accommodated alongside international passengers. This decision aims to streamline the departure process and create a more integrated experience for all travellers.

Commencing on June 7 and extending until June 22, the anticipated departure of Haj pilgrims from Hyderabad is set to witness an approximate count of 5,200 individuals embarking on their spiritual journey. These pilgrims will travel to Jeddah, and their return leg will commence from Madina, with the final batch projected to arrive in Hyderabad on August 2, following a journey that commences on July 13.

May 31, 2023
14.51 crore sanctioned for Haj pilgrims

Vijayawada : The State Minorities Welfare Department has issued orders sanctioning a financial assistance of Rs 14.51 crore to Haj pilgrims, who would board the flight for Haj pilgrimage-2023 from the embarkation point at Vijayawada airport. Md Imtiaz, the special secretary of State Minorities Welfare department, issued orders in this regard on Monday.

The State government has announced to bear the expenditure of Rs 14.51 crore for the Haj pilgrims after the hue and cry raised by the Muslim minority organisations and TDP leaders over fixing a tariff of Rs 3.83 lakh for the Haj pilgrimage, who board the flight from Vijayawada airport for the pilgrimage in Mecca Saudi Arabia.

The Central Haj committee and Ministry of Civil Aviation had fixed the tariff of Rs 3.05 lakh for the Haj pilgrims travelling from Hyderabad to Mecca. Compared to Hyderabad, the tariff is Rs 83,000 more for the Haj pilgrims board the flight from Vijayawada.

Muslim Minority organisations and the TDP leaders have demanded that the State government should bear the expenditure of Rs 83,000 for each pilgrim. Minister for Minority Welfare Amzath Basha visited Delhi last week and met Union Ministers Smriti Irani and Jyotiraditya Scindia and explained that the tariff for Haj pilgrims of Andhra Pradesh and boarding flight from Vijayawada embarkation point is very high and requested the latter to revise the tariff. But there is no response from the Union government till now.

In this backdrop, Minority Welfare department issued orders to release Rs 14.51 crore towards the financial assistance to the Haj pilgrims boarding from Vijayawada embarkation point. Minister Amzath Basha said 1,982 Haj pilgrims travel from Vijayawada airport this year and the government would give financial assistance of Rs 14.51 crore and the amount would be released.

May 16, 2023
Haj pilgrims from Hyderabad to begin departing on June 7

Hyderabad: The Haj Committee of India has announced the final departure schedule for Haj 2023 from 22 embarkation points across the country. This year, the central government has identified 22 embarkation points from where pilgrims will depart and return, with the Hyderabad embarkation point being one of them.

As per the schedule, the departure of pilgrims from Hyderabad will begin on June 7 and continue till June 22, with an estimated 5,200 pilgrims expected to leave from Hyderabad. The pilgrims will leave for Jeddah and return from Madina, with the return journey beginning on July 13 and the last batch expected to reach Hyderabad on August 2.

In a significant move, the Andhra Pradesh government has been included in the embarkation coalition point, with Vijayawada being identified as the point of departure for pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh. The departure of pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh will also start on June 7 and continue till June 22, with an estimated 1,800 pilgrims expected to leave from the state.

The Haj Committee of India has mobilised the respective State Haj Committees as per the embarkation points. The Telangana Haj Committee has received an advance of Rs 81,800 from 4,700 pilgrims who have paid the first installment of travel expenses amounting to Rs 1,70,000.

However, the Telangana Haj Committee is yet to receive passports from another 550 pilgrims, with 100 pilgrims having already reported the cancellation of their journey. Additionally, the committee has received a total of 4,525 passports, including 103 passports of NRIs.

Vistara Airlines services are likely to be set up for Telangana Haj pilgrims, further easing their travel arrangements.

The Haj Committee has made extensive arrangements for the comfort and convenience of the pilgrims, including transportation, accommodation, and other necessary facilities. The committee has also issued guidelines to ensure that all pilgrims follow COVID-19 protocols and guidelines during their journey.

With the departure schedule now finalized, the Haj Committee of India is all set to ensure a smooth and hassle-free journey for all the pilgrims.

April 29, 2023