Hajj Pilgrimage

Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday reviewed preparations for Hajj 2025 in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Madinah to ensure a smooth and spiritually fulfilling pilgrimage experience for all Indian pilgrims. Rijiju, on a visit to Saudi Arabia from June 11 to 14, had important engagements pertaining to the preparations for the forthcoming Hajj pilgrimage. This included the signing of the Bilateral Agreement for Haj 2025, attending the inaugural session of the Hajj & Umrah Conference and Exhibition and bilateral meetings with Saudi dignitaries. During the visit, the Union Minister also reviewed the arrangements being made for the Indian Haj pilgrims at Jeddah and Madinah. "Journey to the "Holi city of Madinah" by train to review Hajj arrangements and meet with the Governor of Madinah. Madinah is one of Islam's holiest cities. Will visit the periphery of the revered Prophet's Mosque, Al Masjid Al Nabwi and at the periphery of the Quba Mosque -- the first Mosque of Islam," ..

Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday embarked on a five-day visit to Saudi Arabia to sign a bilateral agreement for the Hajj pilgrimage of 2025, where India is seeking an additional quota for 10,000 pilgrims. Rijiju is scheduled to meet Saudi Arabian Minister Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al Rabiah on Monday when the two leaders are expected to sign the bilateral agreement. I look forward to visiting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to sign the bilateral agreement on Hajj 2025 and strengthen the people-to-people ties between our two great nations, Rijiju said in a post on X. Rijiju will also meet Saleh Al Jasser, the Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistic Services and discuss Hajj flight operations and the pilgrimage-related bus and train services with him. Rijiju will also visit the Jeddah Haj Terminal, used by Indian pilgrims, where the government has dedicated an office space for facilitation. Some Indian pilgrims use the Jeddah Airport Terminal One, which also has a high-speed

The Haj quota of India for 2025 is fixed by Saudi Arabia at 1,75,025 pilgrims and has been distributed between the Haj Committee of India (HCoI) and Haj Group Organisers (HGO), the government informed the Rajya Sabha on Monday. In a written reply to a question in the Upper House of Parliament, Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that for the year 2025, the quota has been distributed within the same range between HCoI and HGOs, in the ratio of 70:30, which has been communicated vide the Haj Policy-2025 issued on August 5, 2024. For Haj 2025, the quota of Haj pilgrims allotted to HGOs is 30 per cent of India's total of 1,75,025, i.e. 52,507, he said. The allotment of Haj quota and Haj Group Organisers related terms and conditions are governed by a bilateral agreement which is signed between India and Saudi Arabia factoring many ground realities into account, Rijiju said. The Haj quota of India for 2025 is fixed by Saudi Arabia at 1,75,025 pilgrims and has been distributed ...

Saudi authorities have introduced stricter penalties for the misuse of work visas

Out of the total Haj pilgrims quota allocated to India, 70 per cent would be handled by the Haj Committee of India while the remaining 30 per cent will be allocated to private Haj Group Organisers, according to the government's Haj Policy for 2025. In 2024, the Haj Committee of India (HCoI) was allotted 80 per cent while the private Haj Group Organisers got 20 per cent of the quota. While the order of priority was 70 plus applicants, ladies travelling without mehrams (LWM) and the general category in 2024, the new Haj policy has prioritised 65 plus applicants followed by ladies without mehrams and then the general category. "It is decided that considering the arduous nature of the Haj pilgrimage, a companion is a must for pilgrims aged 65 or above and no pilgrim aged 65 or above will be registered as a lone member under reserved category," the new haj policy lays down. In the 2024 policy, which was a continuation of the 2023 policy, a companion was a must for 70 plus age pilgrims.

More than 200 Indian pilgrims died during the Haj pilgrimage 2024, with a majority of the deaths being attributed to cardio-respiratory and cardio-pulmonary arrests, the government informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government of India has placed significant emphasis on the successful conduct of Haj operations and on ensuring the safety and well-being of Indian pilgrims. "As of 21st July 2024, 201 Indian pilgrims have died during Haj pilgrimage 2024 with a majority of them attributed to cardio-respiratory and cardio-pulmonary arrests," he said. It is to further state that more than 70 per cent of the total fatalities have occurred among pilgrims aged 60 and above, Rijiju added. He said the government is committed to improving the overall Haj experience of Indian Haj pilgrims. "In pursuit of this objective, a number of progressive reforms have been introduced in the last few .

While pilgrims with permits are transported around the holy city of Mecca in air-conditioned buses and rest in air-conditioned tents, unregistered ones are often exposed to the elements

The Saudi government's statement highlighted that 83 per cent of the deceased were 'unauthorised pilgrims', facing extreme conditions without adequate shelter or amenities

More than 1,300 people died during this year's Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia as the faithful faced extreme high temperatures at Islamic holy sites in the desert kingdom, Saudi authorities announced Sunday. Saudi Health Minister Fahd bin Abdurrahman Al-Jalajel said that 83% of the 1,301 fatalities were unauthorized pilgrims who walked long distances in soaring temperatures to perform the Hajj rituals in and around the holy city of Mecca. Speaking with the state-owned Al Ekhbariya TV, the minister said 95 pilgrims were being treated in hospitals, some of whom were airlifted for treatment in the capital, Riyadh. He said the identification process was delayed because there were no identification documents with many of the dead pilgrims. He said the dead were buried in Mecca, without giving a breakdown. The fatalities included more than 660 Egyptians. All but 31 of them were unauthorized pilgrims, according to two officials in Cairo. Egypt has revoked the licenses of 16 travel agencie

Mahmoud Qassem, a member of Egypt's Parliament, said the travel companies "left the pilgrims stranded and turned off their mobile phones" so they could not hear the travellers' calls for help

Deaths among Egyptians had surged to at least 658, a significant increase from the previous day's 300, largely due to the oppressive heat

The temperatures at Mecca's Grand Mosque soared to a blistering 51.8 degrees Celsius on June 17. The majority of the fatalities were Egyptian pilgrims, along with at least 60 Jordanians and 5 Iranians

Temperatures soared above 46 degrees Celsius this week in Saudi, making the outdoor rituals particularly challenging, especially for the elderly

In sweltering temperatures, Muslim pilgrims in Mecca converged on a vast tent camp in the desert on Friday, officially opening the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Ahead of their trip, they circled the cube-shaped Kaaba in the Grand Mosque, Islam's holiest site. More than 1.5 million pilgrims from around the world have already amassed in and around Mecca for the Hajj, and the number was still growing as more pilgrims from inside Saudi Arabia joined. Saudi authorities expected the number of pilgrims to exceed 2 million this year. This year's Hajj came against the backdrop of the raging war in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Palestinian militants, which pushed the entire Middle East to the brink of a regional war between Israel and its allies on one side and Iran-backed militant groups on the other. Palestinians in the coastal enclave of Gaza were not able to travel to Mecca for Hajj this year because of the closure of the Rafah crossing in May when Israel extended its ground offensive to th

The Hajj pilgrimage holds special significance for Muslims across the world. Here's the step-by-step guide to performing the annual holy ritual

Muslim pilgrims have been streaming into Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca ahead of the start of the Hajj later this week, as the annual pilgrimage returns to its monumental scale. Saudi officials say more than 1.5 million foreign pilgrims have arrived in the country by Tuesday, the vast majority by air, from across the world. More are expected, and hundreds of thousands of Saudis and others living in Saudi Arabia will also join them when the pilgrimage officially begins on Friday. Saudi officials have said they expect the number of pilgrims this year to exceed 2023, when more than 1.8 million people performed Hajj, approaching pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, more than 2.4 million Muslims made the pilgrimage. The pilgrims included 4,200 Palestinians from the occupied West Bank who arrived in Mecca earlier this month, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs. Palestinians in the Gaza Strip were not able to travel to Saudi Arabia for Hajj this year, because

Minority Affairs Minister Smriti Irani on Tuesday held talks with Saudi Arabia's Minister of Haj and Umrah Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah as both countries vowed to work together to make the Haj process as convenient and as seamless as possible with best provision of services for pilgrims. Irani asserted that the government is committed to making Haj inclusive and accessible towards all segments of society. She made the remarks in a press statement with Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah alongside her. "We today held productive discussions on how to further deepen our engagements and especially our cooperation for Haj. Both nations have agreed to continue to work together to make the Haj process as convenient and as seamless as possible with best provision of services for all Haj pilgrims," Irani said. "We are deeply appreciative of the help that we have received from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for extending special help and cooperation for the smooth conduct of Haj not only every year, but

Some 2 million Muslim pilgrims officially began the annual Hajj pilgrimage on Monday, making their way out of Mecca after circling Islam's holiest site, the Kaaba, and converging on a vast tent camp in the nearby desert for a day and night of prayer. One of the largest religious gatherings in the world has returned to full capacity this year for the first time since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic three years ago. The pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam, and all Muslims are required to make the five-day Hajj at least once in their lives if they are physically and financially able to do it. For pilgrims, it is a deeply moving spiritual experience that absolves sins, brings them closer to God and unites the world's more than 1.8 billion Muslims. Some spend years saving up money and waiting for a permit to embark on the journey. The rituals during Hajj largely commemorate the Quran's accounts of Ibrahim, his son Ismail and Ismail's mother Hajar. Pilgrims have been do

Muslim pilgrims streamed into the holy city of Mecca on Friday ahead of the start of Hajj next week, as the annual pilgrimage returns to its monumental scale after three years of heavy restrictions because of the coronavirus pandemic. Saudi officials say close to 1.5 million foreign pilgrims have arrived in the country so far, the vast majority by air. More are expected, and hundreds of thousands of Saudis and others living in Saudi Arabia will also join them when the pilgrimage officially begins on Monday. Saudi officials have said they expect the number of pilgrims to reach pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, more than 2.4 million Muslims made the pilgrimage. On Friday, pilgrims thronged the Grand Mosque in Mecca to attend weekly communal prayers. Many then did a ritual circuit walking seven times around the Kaaba, the cube-shaped structure inside the Grand Mosque that is Islam's holiest site. On Thursday night, the vast marble court around the Kaaba was packed with the faithful, wal