JEDDAH: A 26-member Indian Haj goodwill mission, headed by professor Saifuddin Soz, a member of Parliament from Jammu & Kashmir, reviewed the arrangements made for pilgrims in Makkah since its arrival in the city on Sunday.
The delegation, which includes four Kashmiri leaders, visited the housing sites for pilgrims in various Makkah districts, including Aziziyah, and also toured the 50-bed hospital the Indian Haj Mission runs in the holy city. They also interacted with several pilgrims and inquired about their health and problems.
Indian pilgrims were the first to arrive when the Haj Terminal opened for the season on Oct. 20. In all, 160,491 pilgrims from India are performing the annual pilgrimage, said the Consulate General of India, which is coordinating the arrangements of 115,000 pilgrims coming through the Haj Committee of India. The remaining 45,491 pilgrims came through private tour operators.
About 500 buildings have been hired to accommodate pilgrims in the Makkah region, 70,000 pilgrims grouped green stay within one kilometer from the Holy Haram, 13,000 grouped white between 1 and 1.6 km from the Holy Haram, and 32,000 others in Aziziyah.
About 1,100 pilgrims stay in different Ribats in Makkah and about 1,822 others in Madinah. A team of Indian doctors is coordinating with various Saudi health agencies to devise strategies to handle swine flu related cases. Two isolation rooms have been created in the hospital run by the Indian Haj Mission in Makkah to handle swine flu-related cases.
Pilgrims from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are expected to total around 450,000, according to Adnan Katib, president of the Tawafa Establishment for South Asian Pilgrims.
Meanwhile, 500 volunteers of Indian Haj Welfare Forum are expected to arrive in Mina from Wednesday to extend various services to pilgrims, organizers said on Tuesday.
All volunteers have been issued identity cards, blazers and caps for pilgrims to easily recognize them, they said, adding that arrangements have been made for their accommodation in the pilgrims’ city.
