Hajj 2023 Application Process in India to Start Soon
AP Abdullakutty, Chairman of the Hajj Committee of India, had earlier said that the online application process for the annual pilgrimage will start with the New Year i.e. from Sunday January 01, 2023.
Eager pilgrims rushed to the Hajj Committee of India website on the first day of the New Year without getting any information on regarding Hajj 2023.
However, talking to ummid.com, the committee’s officials said the process has been delayed but it will start “very soon”.
“The Hajj Committee of India is preparing to start receiving Hajj Application Form (HAF) in the next few days”, they said.
When asked about the delay, the officials could not explain any reason.
India had earlier decided to cut the cost of Hajj 2023 by at least Rs.100,000, and also decided to increase the Hajj Embarkation Points so that pilgrims can embark to Saudi Arabia from the nearest airport.
The Hajj Committee of India is likely to publish Hajj 2023 Plan (Hajj 1444 AH Plan) and Schedule in 2-3 days. Once the Hajj application process is published, the aspiring pilgrims will know the last date of application, Hajj flight schedule, list of embarkation points, Hajj Advance Amount Payment details and other related information.
The Saudi government distributes pilgrims’ quota based on the population of Muslims in the respective countries. Saudi Arabia has not yet declared the Hajj quota for the year 2023 (1444 H).
More than 2.5 million pilgrims perform Hajj in normal days. However, the Kingdom curtailed the number of pilgrims in 2020, 2021, and also in 2022 owing to the health concern and the COVID-19 Pandemic.
In 2021, the Holy city of Mecca received around 60,000 pilgrims, while in 2020 only 1000 selected pilgrims performed Hajj whereas in 2022 a total of 1 million pilgrims performed the Hajj.
It was earlier reported that Saudi Arabia will most likely restore the quota of pilgrims for Hajj 2023 (Hajj 1444H) to pre-Pandemic level as the intensity of COVID-19 has ceded.
Hajj is performed every year in the last month of Islamic Calendar, namely Dhul Hijjah.
Source: ummid.com
