Srinagar: In 2023, a total of 14,500 aspirants from Jammu and Kashmir applied for Hajj, the sacred Muslim pilgrimage to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia against a quota of 12,000 that year. Given the overwhelming applications, the State Haj Committee had to go for 'Qurrah'(random selection of the applicants through draw) to select the pilgrims while the rest had to rely on private operators.
A year later in 2024, only 7,800 applications were received against the allotted quota of 11,500 for the Union Territory that year. The number further declined dramatically in 2025 when a meager 4300 Hajj applications were received against the quota of 8100 set by the Government of India. This year, a total of 4732 pilgrims will embark on the holy pilgrimage. Although the applications have slightly increased, the number is still nearly only half the allotted quota of 7900.
A Heavy Hajj?
The Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing a dramatic decline in the number of pilgrims embarking on Hajj for the past few years with skyrocketing travel costs and declining economy being cited as the major factors.
The low affordability of the protracted sacred journey, which stretches to nearly a month and half, can be gauged from the fact that out of the 5232 applications received this year, 500 were rejected solely because the applicants could not deposit the first installment of the fees, Executive Officer of J&K Hajj Committee, Dr Shujaat Qureshi told ETV Bharat.
Qureshi informed that the pilgrims embarking for Hajj 2026 include 2,200 women pilgrims of whom 13 women are without 'mahram'(close relative). Of the 4732 pilgrims from J&K this year, 1000 will use Delhi embarkation while 50 will depart from the Mumbai airport in Maharashtra, he said. The remaining pilgrims will embark on the holy pilgrimage from Srinagar airport. A total of 320 pilgrims from the Union Territory of Ladakh are also enrolled to perform Hajj 2026.
Based on population, Jammu and Kashmir gets 4.8% of the All India quota, which is roughly 5,000 with the Government of India granting the UT additional seats based on the yearly assessment by the respective Hajj Committee.
What Explains The Declining Number Of Hajj Pilgrims In J&K?
Asked about the declining number of Hajj pilgrims in Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir in recent years, Qureshi cited multiple factors with the skyrocketing ticket prices and overall travel costs being the predominant reason.
The ticket price per head which was below Rs 1 lakh in early 2000s, rose to around Rs 1.1 lakh by 2017-18 and skyrocketed to over Rs 4 lakh a couple of years ago. The travel costs through private operators are even higher crossing Rs 6 lakh per head.
According to Qureshi, people are now preferring 'Umrah'(holy pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina other than Hajj months). “Besides, for the past few years, the Hajj dates have been coinciding with extreme heat in the Kingdom, which has also led to the decline,” Qureshi claimed.
J&K's Grand Mufti Weighs In
Talking to ETV Bharat, Jammu and Kashmir's Grand Mufti, Nasir-ul-Islam, too attributed the declining number of Hajj pilgrims in the region to exorbitant travel costs in recent years while also citing a few other factors.
Nasir-ul-Islam also blamed clerics for “underestimating the religious importance and benefits of Hajj” while also lamenting the extravagance and fashion statements associated with the otherwise holy pilgrimage in the region of late.
“Pilgrims have to think several times about the gifts and jewelry for relatives. Otherwise, the Holy Qur'an recommends Hajj only for those who can afford the pilgrimage,” the Grand Mufti said.
Smartwatches For The First Time For Hajj Pilgrims
As already reported by ETV Bharat, the Haj Committee of India has, in a first, introduced smartwatches for an estimated 1.25 lakh pilgrims performing Hajj 2026. The move is part of the HCI's efforts towards modernising pilgrimage support systems through digital innovation and ensuring safety of pilgrims.
J&K Hajj Committee Executive Officer, Dr Shujaat Qureshi said that the pilgrims will have to collect the smartwatches from the Hajj House in Saudi Arabia's Mina a few days before the pilgrimage starts.
“The smart watch will prove to be effective and efficient for those pilgrims who are less educated or are not able to use smartphones. If they got lost somewhere during the journey, it would have been difficult to find them. Smart watches were introduced to easily track elderly pilgrims, especially less educated pilgrims, so that they would not have to face any problems”.
Post a Comment
0 Comments