HAJJ 2025: Pilgrims to Saudi Arabia from J&K descends 70% in two years. What is behind the decline? | Today news

HAJJ 2025: The number of Hajj’s pilgrims to Mecca and Medina of Jammu and Kashmir has reduced by about 70 percent over the past two years, officials said. The decline in pilgrimage numbers is mainly due to a combination of factors, they said. The most important factors include rising travel costs after the removal of government subsidies, the absence of foreign airlines in the Hajj operations of this year, and unbearable temperatures in Saudi Arabia. This year, about 3.624 pilgrims Hajj 2025 is expected to export from the Union area, which is about half the number of 7,008 pilgrims performing Hajj in 2024, officials said. “As many as 3.624 pilgrims from J&K and 242 of Ladakh will perform Hajj this year,” CEO Shujaat Ahmad Qureshi told Reporters in Srinagar J&K Hajj Committee. HAJJ flights are scheduled to start working from Srinagar to Saudi Arabia from May 4. The final flight to Saudi is scheduled on May 15. This year, Hajj flights will start from Srinagar to Saudi Arabia from May 4, with the final flight carrying pilgrims on May 15. This year, Hajj is expected to take place from June 4 to June 9, 2025, depending on the Moon, with the beginning of the start of Zil-Hajj, the 12th month of the Islamic Calendar. 12.079 HAJJJJJJJEGRIGHTS OF J&K in 2023 last year 7.008 Pilgrims of J&K performed the HAJJ. In 2023, the number was 12.079 pilgrims, while in 2022, about 6,000 pilgrims of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh HajjjjjjjjjjjjeRelgroompetry performed. Prior to 2022, Hajj was suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. The HAJJ subsidy, which aimed to compensate travel costs for pilgrims from India to Saudi Arabia, was abolished in January 2018. The subsidy was abolished in accordance with a Supreme Court order, the government said in January 2018. “A constitutional bank of the Supreme Court during the 2012 congressional regime ordered the HAJ subsidy to be omitted. Away with the HAJ subsidy gradually, “said Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, the then Minister of Minority Affairs. Private quota has cut the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs, by the Hajjs Committee of India, arrangements for most of the quota assigned to India, which is 1,22,518 in 2025. Pilgrimage) was awarded to private tour operators. Ministry of Minority Affairs said.