More than 4,700 pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir are set to depart for this year’s annual Hajj pilgrimage from Srinagar International Airport starting Saturday, officials said. Over the next 24 hours, 4,704 pilgrims will leave for Makkah to perform the annual Hajj in Saudi Arabia, they said.
Executive Officer of the J&K Hajj Committee, Dr Shujat Ahmed, said approximately 3,990 pilgrims, including 323 from Ladakh, will depart from Srinagar, while around 1,000 pilgrims will use the Delhi embarkation point and about 50 are likely to depart from Mumbai.
Flights carrying pilgrims are set to begin operations on April 18 and will continue for about 10–15 days, with the last flight scheduled for May 28. However, minor schedule changes are also expected due to prevailing US–Iran tensions in the Gulf.
According to authorities, the Saudi government has directed stricter health screening this year, under which some applicants with serious medical conditions were declared unfit for the pilgrimage. Besides, self-cooking facilities have been shut for pilgrims in locations like Azizia.
Following Saudi directives, the Government of India will provide smartwatches to pilgrims for monitoring purposes, replacing the earlier wristbands. However, as the Srinagar Airport is undergoing upgradation, the capacity has been reduced, leading to rescheduling and mandatory halts in Delhi. Aircraft carrying 189 passengers will now operate with around 145 passengers, while baggage allowance has been reduced from 40 kg to 25 kg.
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