On Sunday, 278 pilgrims from the Nedumbassery Hajj Camp under the State Hajj Committee departed for Jeddah from Kochi International Airport to perform Hajj. The Hajj cell officer noted that 279 people were scheduled to go, but one journey was canceled.
The group included 150 men and 128 women traveling on Saudi Airlines flight number 3783. P.A. Manaf, a Kerala Police native from Muvattupuzha, served as a guide for the pilgrims on the same flight.
The bus carrying the departing pilgrims on the first flight was flagged off by MP Benny Bahanan, MLA Mohammad Mohsin, and MLA Anwar Sadat during a ceremony at the camp courtyard at 8 am.
Participants in the ceremony included Nedumbassery Hajj Committee General Convener A Zafar Kayal, Former Hajj Committee Chairman Thodiyur Muhammad Kunj Maulavi, Hajj Committee Members Kadaikal Abdul Aziz Maulavi, PP Muhammad Rafi, P.T. Akbar, Adv. BA Abdul Muttalib, T.M. Zakir Hussain, former Hajj committee members Anas Haji, H Musammil Haji, C. Hydros Haji, Muhammad Kunj Muchat, Nedumbassery Hajj Committee Coordinator Saleem, Hajj Special Officer U Abdul Karim, SIAL Director G. Manu, and Saudi Airlines Station in Charge S Smith. The gathering at the camp was led by Thodiyur Muhammad Kunj Maulavi. Hajj Cell Officer M.N. Shaji conducted classes for the pilgrims.
The first bus carrying Hajj pilgrims was flagged off by MP Benny Bahanan, and MLAs Mohammad Muhsin and Anwar Sadat. The distribution of travel documents to Hajj pilgrims was inaugurated by Minister P. Rajeev.
India’s first flight carrying Hajj pilgrims this year departed for Madinah from Delhi’s IGI airport at 2:20 am on May 9.
A total of 1,75,025 pilgrims from India will perform Hajj this year, following the Bilateral Haj Agreement 2024 signed between India and Saudi Arabia in January. The agreement was signed by Union Minister Smriti Irani and Minister of State V Muraleedharan with Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah.
The Ministry of Minority Affairs stated, “A total quota of 1,75,025 pilgrims from India has been finalised for Haj 2024 with 1,40,020 seats being reserved for pilgrims to proceed through the Haj Committee of India, which will greatly benefit the common first-time pilgrims intending to undertake the Haj pilgrimage in 2024, whereas 35,005 pilgrims would be permitted to proceed through Haj Group Operators.”
