First two batches of Haj pilgrims leave Karnataka
Nov 23, 2006 - 11:27:24 PM
, Reviewed by: Priya Saxena
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The new facility, to be built in the next 24 months, will be able to accommodate at least 3,000 pilgrims at a time and provide administrative and logistic facilities to the upcoming international airport at Devanahalli, about 30 km from here.
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By Indo Asian News Service,
[RxPG] Bangalore, Nov 23 - The first two batches of 540 Haj pilgrims from Karnataka left here for Madina Thursday by two special Saudi Airlines flights.
About 6,700 pilgrims have been cleared to go on Haj at Makkah and Madina in Saudia Arabia this year by the state Haj committee.
The Hajis - from the state are being flown in 24 batches of 270 each till Dec 3, with 12 flights landing at Jeddah for their onward journey to the holy shrines of Islam.
'With Saudi Arabia agreeing to increase the Indian quota of pilgrims to 150,000 from 100,000 last year, we are able to send 6,700 Hajis this year as against 4,500 last year,' said Haj Minister Zameer Ahmed.
'To give preference to first timers, we have asked those who had been there earlier to defer their trip to next year as we have received about 11,000 applications. In view of the overwhelming response, we had to conduct a lottery - for selecting the rest,' Ahmed told IANS at the Haj camp here.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy announced a grant of Rs.30 million to build a new Haj house on a five-acre land on the Ring Road. Currently, the makeshift Haj camp is located at the Khuddus Saheb Idga maidan in the city.
The new facility, to be built in the next 24 months, will be able to accommodate at least 3,000 pilgrims at a time and provide administrative and logistic facilities to the upcoming international airport at Devanahalli, about 30 km from here.
'As per the Saudi government advisory, we are administering polio vaccination to all children accompanying their parents,' said Mohammed Imran, Haj health committee chairman.
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