HAJJ SIDELIGHTS

A total of 160,491 Indian pilgrims performed Hajj this year. Indian pilgrims were the first to arrive when the Haj Terminal opened for the season on Oct. 20, said the Consulate General of India, which coordinated 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 were hired to accommodate pilgrims in the Makkah region, 70,000 pilgrims grouped green stayed 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. The Indian mission set up a 50-bed hospital in Makkah. About 1,100 stayed in various Ribats set up by erstwhile princely states of India. The pilgrims who flew in October were first taken to Madinah.

A 26-member Indian Haj goodwill mission, headed by Prof. 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.

Pilgrims from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh totalled around 450,000, according to Adnan Katib, president of the Tawafa Establishment for South Asian Pilgrims.

A number of Saudi businessmen and welfare organizations signed contracts with five-star hotels and high class restaurants to provide 10 million free meals for distribution to pilgrims in Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah during the five days of Haj, according to a report in the Arab News.

“The Inter Continental hotels in Jeddah and Makkah signed contracts with about 20 Saudi businessmen and charities to provide hot and cold meals for distribution free of charge among the guests of God,” said Bandar Al-Harbi, general manager of InterContinental hotels in Saudi Arabia.
Al-Harbi added that hotel chains have been preparing and distributing food free of charge from refrigerated trucks and catering vehicles among pilgrims in the holy sites for years.

Muhammad Al-Rifaie, a PR officer at a five-star hotel in Jeddah, said the current world financial crisis has not affected charity work in the Kingdom, especially that which is carried out during Haj and Ramadan. “Millions of hot and cold meals are being distributed free of charge among pilgrims,” he said.

Several charities set up restaurants to distribute free food in Arafat, including, among many others, those bearing the name of the late King Fahd, King Abdullah, and Saudi businessman Muhammad bin Abood Al-Amoudi. Al-Amoudi’s restaurant were set up close to Mount Rahmah. He said “We also served pilgrims with free tea, coffee, water and soft drinks.

About a thousand Indian nationals gave up their holiday this year to help their countrymen and women perform Hajj. They worked at the airport and pilgrim camps at the holy sites. They carried out varied tasks, including helping pilgrims overcome the language barrier, dealing with those who are lost and helping the sick and infirm go to hospital.

The volunteers included 15 doctors, eight engineers and a number of accountants and technicians employed at Saudi companies across the nation.

The idea of volunteering for Hajj was conceived six years ago during an informal gathering of seven Indians. They decided that the Hajj holidays were too short to go home and that they would rather spend their time in service to others.They had 29 volunteers that year. Last year the number zoomed to 890. Abu Bakr Banjawa, a leader of the volunteer group at the holy sites, said they coordinate their work with the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) and the Indian Embassy.
Volunteer Ali Bekay says he does it “for the sake of Allah.” Bekay was speaking just after he had convinced an Indian pilgrim to hand over his passport to a Hajj company's staff. The pilgrim had earlier refused to do so because of the language barrier.