Pilgrims flock to Mina as hajj begins

Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, including Pakistanis, have started arriving at Mina, marking the beginning of annual Hajj rituals in the Saudi holy city of Makkah.

With temperatures expected to rise above 40 degrees Celsius, pilgrims are slowly performing rituals in Makkah, including circling the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque, Islam’s holiest site. According to official updates, more than 88000 Pakistani pilgrims have traveled to Saudi Arabia under the government Hajj scheme, while over 23600 others are performing Hajj through private tour operators.

Pakistan’s Hajj Mission has completed all transportation arrangements for pilgrims heading to Mina, known as the world’s largest tent city. Over 900 buses will transport government-sponsored pilgrims to Mina before the Zuhr prayer, as part of the scheduled Hajj journey. Pilgrims will stay at Mina until Fajr on the 9th of Dhul Hijjah, before heading to Mount Arafat for the key ritual of Waqoof-e-Arafa, considered the spiritual peak of Hajj.

The Hajj Mission has also guided Pakistani pilgrims to strictly follow the instructions issued by Saudi authorities regarding Rami Al-Jamarat, the symbolic stoning of the devil, and the animal sacrifice rituals. Each group, known as a Maktab, will follow a fixed time schedule for performing the stoning ritual on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah to ensure crowd control and safety.