the goan I network
VASCO
The first flight of the season carrying 261 Haj pilgrims from Goa to Saudi Arabia departed from Dabolim airport on Saturday afternoon.
The Haj is an annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, undertaken by millions of Muslims around the world.
The Goa State Haj Committee (GSHC) has made all arrangements for the Haj pilgrims like accommodation, food, guidance, etc. The flight has been arranged by GSHC and while 173 Haj pilgrims are from Goa, the remaining 88 are from Karnataka. The pilgrims will return on August 28.
GSHC chairman Shaikh Jinha told reporters that India has the world’s second largest number of Haj pilgrims.
“We have made all necessary arrangements, not just for Goan pilgrims but also for those Haj pilgrims who have come from Karnataka.”
“We salute PM Narendra Modi for allowing pilgrims to move without Mehrams. All over the world, there was a facility to move for the pilgrimage without the Mehram for last 50 years, but today for the first time, about 2,350 of our sisters can go for the Haj without the Mehram.”
Jinha said the quota for Indian Haj pilgrims has increased and about 2 lakh pilgrims will go for the Haj from India.
