India introduces 24-hour helpline in Mecca to help Hajj pilgrims

[aristocrat]

India has introduced for the first time a 24-hour helpline service in Saudi city of Mecca to assist tens of thousands of its pilgrims visiting there for annual Hajj this month.

"Indian Consulate has started a new 24-hour helpline service on the numbers 02-5496000 and 02-5458000 at the Indian Hajj Mission in Mecca to assist pilgrims," Indian Hajj consul BS Mubarak told local media.

"This is the first time that such services have been provided for Indian pilgrims," he said.

He said all preparations have been made for the Indian pilgrims who have started coming to Mecca for this year's Hajj which will start on November 14.

Mubarak said Indian pilgrims will be served three meals a day in Mina and Arafat, consisting of bread, juice and fruit.

So far, the officials said, Indians topped the list of pilgrims who arrived from abroad to Medina with a figure of 26,373, followed by 22,726 from Iran, and 19,605 from Pakistan, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Around 1.5 lakh Indians visits Mecca for Hajj every year.

More than 1.5 million Muslims from all over the world have already converged on the holy cities of Mecca and Medina in western Saudi Arabia for the Hajj, the world's largest annual gathering.

India introduces 24-hour helpline in Mecca to help Hajj pilgrims - India - DNA

 

[Trichy]

Its nice step by GoI

 

[Hyde]

Providing telephone service is nothing in my opinion,

Poor Indians are provided worst facilities during Hajj. I witnessed myself last year...........no maps, no good food, worst camps, worst hotel rooms, everything was below par. Even African pilgrims were in far better condition

The only sign of relief for them was the maps provided to Pakistani camps in the corner of roads, and Indian camps being closer to Pakistani camps could locate the nearest Pakistani camp from the map and reach to their places.... otherwise the whole Hajj area is a maze...where it is not easy to locate your own camps (trust me It can take days to find your camp if you leave your camp for one reason or another)

Seriously I was like when i saw the treatment being given to Indian camps comparing to other nations. Even Pakistani camps weren't that good but still in far better condition comparing to Indian ones....

The best camps were provided to Afghan peoples........ and Irani's after that.... (talking about South Asian and Central asian countries only)

Europeans got the portable beds installed in their camps thanks to the heavy money they pay before going to Hajj

 

[abrahams]

interesting to see indians form the largest number of people from a country though it doesnt have the largest population of muslims...

 

[StingRoy]

interesting to see indians form the largest number of people from a country though it doesnt have the largest population of muslims...

The article quotes the figure uptil now and not what the final figures usually are.

So far, the officials said, Indians topped the list of pilgrims who arrived from abroad to Medina with a figure of 26,373, followed by 22,726 from Iran, and 19,605 from Pakistan, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

 

[abrahams]

The article quotes the figure uptil now and not what the final figures usually are.

yeah... true... but guess it is going to be proportionate ... as long as there is no different timing set for people from different countries to arrive...

 

[Hyde]

interesting to see indians form the largest number of people from a country though it doesnt have the largest population of muslims...

The quota increases every year if I am not wrong and last year Pakistan sent 160,000 pilgrims to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Hajj

The total quota was divided this way

80,000 went to perform Hajj from the Government scheme
80,000 went to perform Hajj by the private agents

I am hoping for larger number for this year but I didn't read anywhere yet