Pandemic shadow over Hajj pilgrimage

For those intending to go on Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages, the past two years have been very tough. The tariffs have also gone up – a pilgrim this year will have to shell out close to Rs 5 lakh, as against the earlier rates ranging between Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 2 lakh. In addition, Saudi authorities have placed a lot of Covid-related restrictions, including limiting the number of pilgrims entering their soil. All this will make Hajj pilgrimage beyond the reach of many, Hameed Ashraf reports.

Hajj and Umrah pilgrims in the state are worried about the new set of rules and the surge in package cost of journey to the Makkah and Madinah, the holiest shrines of Islam and the city of the Prophet, in 2022.

Since November last year, the Central government has digitised the application and selection of prospective pilgrims through the portal of the Hajj Committee of India, which functions under the Ministry of Minority Affairs. The deadline for the online application is January 31.

Murtuza Shariff, a resident of RT Nagar, who has been planning to make the trip since 2020, had to drop the idea because of the pandemic. “I thought I could go in 2021, then that too didn’t work out as tariffs were high. This year too, I heard that the cost has more than doubled. With businesses being down this year, I just cannot afford it. Also the cost of quarantine stays in Saudi Arabia has been added now in the package,” he said.

In 2021, Saudi Arabia fixed a target of only 60,000 pilgrims from within Saudi Arabia’s borders due to the ongoing risks from the Covid-19 pandemic. A total of 58,518 pilgrims performed the Hajj that year. During the last two years, the Hajj pilgrimage has seen a steep curtailment of the number of pilgrims. A year prior to that, in 2020, only 10,000 pilgrims were allowed to perform the pilgrimage. According to Hajj group organiser Millath Haj Services, the journey per head is likely to cost close to Rs 5 lakh, instead of the usual tariffs ranging between Rs. 1.5 lakh and Rs. 2 lakh.

Hajj is considered to be one of the five basic tenets of Islam and mandatory for Muslims at least once in their lifetime to be undertaken in the last lunar month of Dhul Hijjah. This year it would fall in t h e middle of July. The Umrah, or “lesser pilgrimage”, can be performed any time and any number of times. But the Saudi authorities have placed a lot of restrictions on Umrah due to the pandemic. Those above 65 years of age will not be able to apply. At the same time, it will be necessary to get both doses of Covid-19 vaccine at least one month before the journey.

In addition, women in the age group of 45-65 years going to Hajj without Mehram (father or brother) will be able to apply only as a group of four or five.

Pilgrimage tours and travel operators are in a fix Just as tour, travel and hospitality sector has taken a hit, the Hajj and Umrah operators are also facing a tough season. During the last two years, several such operators have shut shop.

One of the operators of Hajj tour services, Sultan, told News Trail that it has been 22 months since this sector was fully functional. “Demand for Hajj tours will be limited this year as the application process has shifted online. I feel 90% of the pilgrims from the city will find it difficult to perform Hajj this year due to the high cos,” he said.

“Before pandemic, we were offering 15-day Umrah packages at Rs 60,000, sending 50-80 pilgrims per month. Now we have zero bookings because the same packages cost upwards of Rs 1.5 lakh this year,” said an operator from Deccan Hajj and Umrah tours.

“The government’s 40- day Hajj package tour would cost around Rs 3.7 lakh. But even then, I feel around 90% of pilgrims from Bengaluru will find it difficult to perform Hajj this year due to the high cost,” said yet another operator.

“A round trip to Saudi Arabia used to cost around Rs 30,000. Now the flight tariff has risen to Rs 60,000 in the past two years. We are expecting the fares to come down once air travel opens up. This will automatically bring other costs down too,” Secretary of Karnataka Hajj Tours and Travel Organisers’ Association, Shafi Ahmed told News Trail..

Covid-related curbs:

The new norms would include double dose vaccination; people below 18 and above 65 not being eligible to undertake the pilgrimage; four-day Qurantine before Umrah will be a must; foreign pilgrims arriving in Saudi Arabia will need to show the status of their immunization on the health app Tawakkalna; and Umrah being allowed only thrice during the 30-day stay.

Karnataka Hajj Committee Chairman, Raufuddin Kacheriwala told News Trail, “The selection process of pilgrims will be done taking into account full vaccination, oth