Hassan Cheruppa

Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — Indian Haj Consul Sheikh Muhammad Noor Rahman said Saudi authorities have agreed to provide Mashair train facilities to 100,000 Indian pilgrims during this Haj.



“Negotiations are under way to obtain train facilities for all pilgrims from India,” he said while talking to reporters at India’s Haj Mission office in Makkah.



A total of 136,020 Indian pilgrims are performing Haj this year, including 121,420 traveling under the country’s national Haj committee and 14,600 under private groups.



As of Friday, Rahman said 50,532 Indian pilgrims have arrived in Jeddah and Madinah. The oldest pilgrim is a 107-year-old named Ismail from the northern state of Haryana. Among the pilgrims, 14,969 have moved to Makkah after spending eight days in Madinah.



A total of 61,000 pilgrims will be arriving in Jeddah and 60,800 in Madinah.



Rahman said: “Our Haj operation plan is moving smoothly and no major complaints have so far been registered with regard to transportation, accommodation and other facilities and services.



“The pilgrims’ health is also fine in general.”



He said as of Saturday, 11 pilgrims, nine in Madinah and two in Makkah, had died.



“All these pilgrims, who were old, had died of natural causes.”



The Haj consul said the Saudi authorities have overturned their earlier decision to reduce the quantity of Zamzam water allotted to each Haj pilgrim from 10 to five liters following a request from India.



Rahman told Saudi Gazette: "Saudi Arabian Airlines Haj flights started transporting 10-liter Zamzam cans from Sept. 19.

“Air India flights will take the holy water to India after Haj.”



He said India’s Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahmed had asked Saudi Minister of Haj Bandar Al-Hajjar to review the decision taken by the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) with regard to a Zamzam water allowance cut during their meeting in Jeddah on Sept. 4.



“We are thankful to Saudi authorities for taking urgent steps to honor the agreement signed between GACA and India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation in this regard,” he said.



Rahman expressed hope Indian pilgrims will get their tents in the Souk Al-Arab and Al-Jowhara Street areas near the Jamarat, where pilgrims stone the three pillars representing the Satan, this year as well.



He said: “Saudi authorities have directed that 50 percent of pilgrims should stay back in Mina on Dhul Hijja 12 and leave Mina only after the stoning at Jamarat the following afternoon.



“The authorities have assured that they will make available all facilities for these pilgrims.”



He said this directive could be part of measures to avoid overcrowding in the Grand Mosque in the wake of space constraints due to the expansion of the mataf (area for circumambulation around Holy Ka'ba).



“For elderly pilgrims who were allotted accommodation in the green category, we are making available those buildings that are in flat areas and nearest to the Haram,” Rahman said.