HAJ - 2007 (1428 H)

Dear Pilgrims!

          We offer our sincere greetings to you for being selected by ALLAH (s.w.t) as the fortunate ones to arrive in the two holy cities of Makkah Al-Mukarrama and Madinah Al-Munawwara for performing Haj during 2007 (1428 H).  Some of you would have arrived at Jeddah and would be cherishing your travel to Madina, while others among you would have arrived in Madina Al Munawwara and would be performing the optional 40 prayers before proceeding to Makkah.

Please pray to ALLAH (s.w.t) that may all your efforts succeed in winning His pleasure and you accomplish in your goal of achieving a successful and rewarding Haj 2007 – Insha’llah!

To facilitate your designated Haj-rituals during your holy pilgrimage, some useful tips and Dos’ and Don’ts are compiled for your guidance and safety. Kindly read this carefully and try to follow the guidelines and suggestions given below.

I. General

1. As per Hadith, you are GUESTS OF ALLAH (s.w.t.).  Keep this very fact in your heart and mind and spend your maximum time in Namaz, Tawaf, Zikr, Recitation of HOLY QURAN and other pious jobs and avoid wasting your time in loitering here and there in vain.

2. Cleanliness is the grace of a Momin, part and parcel of your faith and symbol of a fine person. So, always try to keep your body, your clothes and your dwelling place neat and clean.

3.      As you know, the Haj is a physically taxing exercise and involves great Mashakhat. During your stay in Makkah and Madinah it would be normal to walk a considerable distance on foot. Further, the rituals during the core Haj period involve multiple mass movements in the Mashaer region within specified timings and therefore demand a willingness on the part of the pilgrims to cope with the physical stress and strain of a magnitude which you may not be accustomed to previously.   It is, therefore, very important to keep one’s spirits high, have patience and not to lose sight of the main goal of the visit i.e. Haj and immersing oneself in the worship of Allah.

4. Haj pilgrimage actually comprises of several short journeys, so kindly act patiently in all your journeys. Never be restless or be in haste because it has often led to several untoward and tragic incidents or accidents.

5. A sizable number of Haj Pilgrims comprises of old, simple and illiterate people. It is therefore requested that young, hail and hearty pilgrims of every room/ every floor of every building should not miss the opportunity of offering a helping hand to these pilgrims for earning divine blessings.

6.  Losing the way in the vast Haram Sharief is common with pilgrims. Therefore, while entering the Haram Sharief you should look around from inside the courtyard. There are five coloured gates leading to the outside. All the gates of the Haram Sharief are numbered for convenience. You must remember the colour, name or number of the gate which leads to your building in Makkah. This is the easiest way to remember.

7. If you happen to stray/forget your way to your building, ask for Indian Haj Office in Ajyad (opposite Ajyad Makkah Hotel) and reach there. The office will guide you to your building immediately. Alternatively, you can seek the help from the members of the Indian Task Force  who bear tri-colour symbols on  their vests with AL-HIND AND BHARAT(in Hindi) inscribed upon them. These representatives will be available at the various gates of Haram Sharief and around.

8.  Never leave behind your wristband provided by the Haj Committee of India or the identity card provided by your Moallim. These two articles are very important as these establish your identity and will prove to be of much help in times of need.

9. As per law, pilgrims are not permitted to travel outside Makkah, Madinah or the Mashaer region without the permission of their Maktab since their visas do not permit visits to Jeddah or elsewhere in Saudi Arabia. Those pilgrims who venture to do so face arrest and deportation.  You should, therefore, desist yourselves from moving out of the designated areas without proper permission.

10.  Haj-1428 roughly corresponds to the period 17^th-22^nd December 2007. This is a cold month and hence you would need to use warm woolen clothing like sweaters and blankets. Rooms in Makkah and Madina and the tents in Mina are all air-conditioned and hence you may feel cold, especially during the night. This year your Moallim would provide you with a Blanket and a Pillow at Mina. This you can also carry back with you as souvenir. Please note that there are no heating arrangements at any of these places.

11. You need to be very careful while crossing roads, especially main roads and highways in Makkah and Madina. Traffic in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia runs in the opposite direction when compared to that in India. Traffic is very fast on these roads and a number of pilgrims get injured or die because of their own negligence.  The vehicle drivers will not stop or decrease their speed if pilgrims are crossing the road. You should be careful about the vehicles moving on the road.  We would advise you to try and avoid going for ‘ziarats’ to different places before the Haj in order not to subject yourselves to unnecessary risks. 

12.           The pilgrims may kindly note that the Saudi Authorities have clarified that the whole of the Makkah region including Sheesha and Azizia is the Hudud Al Haram i.e. falls under the Haram Sharif Area. 

II. Accommodation in Makkah

13. All the accommodation for the Indian Haj pilgrims is hired as per the norms laid down by the Government of India in consultation with the Haj Committee of India and as per regulations of the Government of the Saudi Arabia.  Every effort has been made to arrange the best possible accommodation for you in Makkah and Madinah, within the limitations imposed by the ground realities and market forces.

14.                       Encouraged by the successes of the previous years we are also continuing with the Azizia Category where there would be 24 hour transportation available from your buildings to the Haram Sharief.

15. While efforts have been made to allocate accommodation in the categories preferred by you at the time of making application to the Haj Committee, owing to the shortage of units in Makkah under some categories there may be a possibility of your down-gradation to special/lower categories based on the availability of units.  Please bear with us for this inconvenience.  However, the difference in the rental, wherever applicable, would be refunded back to all of you by the Haj Committee once you return back to India.

16.  Your buildings have been allotted through a computerised system. Therefore, kindly stay in your allotted room only. Please mind the fact that grabbing a place which is meant for some one else is against Islamic ethics and this is not befitting at all for a person who has come on Haj Pilgrimage.

17. As you know, geographically the Holy land of Makkah is uneven in different areas. In view of above, we have made it mandatory that every building hired for pilgrims must have elevator facility. The proper and correct use of this facility is up to you. Usually every elevator (Lift) is equipped with standard instructional notices and directions. Kindly go through them and also explain these points to the illiterate and old & feeble people of your group. Usually instructions like capacity of the elevator, avoidance of use of elevator in case of fire in the building, using alarm in case of stopping of elevator in between are always available inside the elevator, on the instructions board.

18. All the pilgrims would have to share the bathroom and kitchen facilities and they should do this in the spirit of brotherhood and adjustment. A little patience on your part can solve a lot of hassles and problems.  Most of the buildings in Makkah and Madinah have western style commodes. Therefore, the pilgrims should get acquainted with their use in advance.

19. Please note that water is a very scarce commodity in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as there are no fresh water sources and the entire potable water is obtained by re-cycling of sea-water. You should, therefore, avoid wasting water or using too much water. During the peak Haj period if water finishes in a building due to excessive use, water tankers cannot bring water due to restrictions on movement. For washing of clothes, utensils, bathing and cooking purposes, economizing on the use of water is essential.

20.  Normally Gas stoves are NOT allowed, both in Makkah and Madinah.  However, informally the service providers make these stoves available in the buildings. Therefore, LPG stoves should be used very carefully. While leaving the stoves, please ensure that the stoves and the cylinder-connection are both switched off so that there is no chance of gas leakage and risk. Kindly explain the method to the other people of your group/room who are not familiar with the use of LPG stove system.

21. Every day each building will be visited by a Building Supervisor who will check with the Haaris (Door-keeper) about any problems that need rectification. Pilgrims can either inform the Haaris about problems they confront or record a complaint in the Complaint Register kept in their own building for this purpose. Complaints can also be lodged with the branch office of the Indian Haj Mission which is overseeing their building. Map of the branch office and the telephone number are available on the ground floor of every building.

22. Pilgrims must not allow visitors inside buildings or rooms. They should be met outside the building. Friends, relatives and extra persons are not to be kept in rooms. The rooms should not be cluttered with excess baggage since space is at a premium.

III. Facilities provided for Hajis’ Welfare

23. The Indian Government deputes a large number of administrative and medical staff for the welfare of Hajis. The Indian Haj Mission opens several branch offices and Medical Dispensaries in Makkah and Madinah. These branch offices and Dispensaries are in addition to the two offices at both cities which run throughout the year. The Branch Offices and Dispensaries in Makkah are opened in such a way that these are located in the areas of buildings of our Haj pilgrims around the Haram Sharief.  The four dispensaries in Madina are also situated around the Masid-e-Nabawi. A modern 50-bedded hospital is established in the Ajyad area of holy Makkah so that no wing of service to pilgrims, whether it is related to general amenities or medical facilities, is left ignored.  The Indian Haj Office is also located in a new and more spacious building near to the Haram Sharief in the Ajyad area for the convenience of pilgrims.

24. Pilgrims should take care of their health and keep themselves protected from the hot sun and the cold nights as well as the cool temperatures inside the rooms. They should drink plenty of water and try to eat citrus fruits to build up resistance. The doctors and dispensaries are there to help in case medication is needed. The common complaints are of dehydration, sunstroke, cold and cough, flu, stomach upset, scraped thighs and blisters on the feet.  In case of hospitalization, the Indian Haj Mission doctors would ensure that pilgrims are looked after well in the Saudi hospitals and their progress monitored regularly.

25. To bring medical facilities closer to you, we have constituted several mobile medical teams which will visit your buildings on and off and take note of your health requirements so that such old and feeble pilgrims, who are  unable to visit branch and Haj office-Dispensaries, may avail of medical facilities right in their rooms.

26. A special medical package has been devised for all pilgrims of over 70 years of age and others who are perceived to be in the high-risk category.

IV. Code of Conduct during your stay in Saudi Arabia

27. As per Saudi law any kind of propaganda, be it religious, political or otherwise, is completely banned. As such pilgrims are advised not to indulge in religious propagation or distribution of any printed material during the course of their stay in the Kingdom.  Particular care should be taken to refrain from political discussions or forming any obvious groupings on political or sectarian lines during the duration of stay in the Kingdom.

28. It may be possible that some arrangements made by the Indian or Saudi agencies may not be to your complete satisfaction. It is advised that in such cases, you may take the shortcomings in the spirit of accommodation and understanding and not resort to activities unbecoming of a Haji. Any grievance can be brought to the notice of the Indian Haj Mission through your branch offices or Khuddamul Hujjaj.

29. Please note that activities like street protests, slogan shouting, gherao, etc, which have the potential of disturbing the public peace, are not tolerated in the Kingdom and such actions would be dealt with very severely.

30. Indulgence in begging, pick-pocketing, drug-peddling or immoral activities is strictly prohibited and could lead to severe punishments. The Kingdom imposes DEATH PENALTY for drug peddling and imprisonment of several months/lashing for pick-pocketing and immoral activities.

V. Code of Conduct while in the Haram Sharief

31. First of all while visiting the Holy Haram Sharief all the pilgrims should make conscious efforts to maintain the sanctity of the Holy Haram.  They should keep their emotions under control. Sudden outburst of emotions has led to difficulties for the pilgrims in past as it can be mistaken as mental disturbance etc. Please do not pick up any object inside or outside the Haram Sharief that does not belong to you.  Otherwise, the police may infer that you are pilfering things and this can cause lot of problems for you.

32. Saudi officials/ police authorities are spread out in the Haram Sharief area, even in the civil dress, and any unusual act is always noticed. If at all you are picked up by the police or any other Saudi Authorities please do not speak anything and insist on the presence of an official from the Indian Haj Mission.

33. The Haram Sharief at Makkah consists of basement, main floor, first floor and terrace. When the crowd gets bigger even the outside spaces are filled up to a long distance. You should familiarize yourself regarding the use of conveyor belts (escalators) which are used to carry people to the upper floors and the terrace.  Some pilgrims hold on to the railings and tend to create a stampede like situation and in the process hurt themselves as well as others. 

34.                 In the Haram Sharif, you should always carry a plastic bag to keep your sandals/shoes.  You may also carry a prayer mat in case there is too much rush, where you may have to offer your prayers in the open area or by the roadside.   

VI. Beware of Cheats and Thieves

35. Never establish friendly terms with any strangers, nor accept any edibles (like coffee, medicine or other things) or seek lift up to your building because such people have earlier deceived & cheated pilgrims and many pilgrims have lost their money and valuables.

36. At any crowded place, whether it is within the Holy Haram, or outside, please do not carry any valuable articles or excess currency notes so that you do not fall prey to pick-pocketing or lose the valuables in the rush of crowd.

37.  It is your own duty to protect your currency or other valuable articles. Carrying these things always with you perceiving that it would be safe to do so could prove to be expensive. Apart from pick pocketing, we have several reports of forced snatching of currency from pilgrims in the previous years. It should be your first priority to make suitable arrangements for the safety of these valuable articles. There are facilities of safe-deposit of such valuable articles in the designated offices of Moallims. Therefore, you are advised to deposit your extra-money in the Moallim’s office and  get a receipt (FATURA) of it. You may realize your deposited money as and when required from the Moallim’s office by making necessary entries in the receipt furnished by the office accordingly.  There are also lockers available at different points outside the Haram Sharief, which you can hire for short periods by paying small sums of money.

38.                        Since last few years some unscrupulous elements are cheating Haj-pilgrims in the name of cheap-Qurbani (Sacrifice), providing meat at your place of stay etc. These unscrupulous elements do nothing but deceive and cheat the gullible pilgrims. So either offer your sacrifice (Qurbani) personally by your own hands or purchase the coupon offered by the Islamic Development Bank (IDB). In view of the heavy rush during these days, several Hanafi scholars have also declared that Qurbani through bank-coupon as valid.

39.                       In case of loss of money, you may contact the Indian Pilgrims’ Welfare Forum (IPWF) at the Indian Haj Mission office for providing limited but immediate financial assistance.

VII.  Orientation of Pilgrims in Makkah

40. The Indian Pilgrims’ Welfare Forum (IPWF), under the aegis of the Consulate General of India, organises several orientation programmes for the benefit of Hajis at the various community centres in Makkah. There are separate sessions for women pilgrims. The orientation programmes and counselling sessions focus on religious rituals, medical advisories and precautions and safety measures to be taken by Hajis, especially during their stay in the Mashaer Region. You are encouraged to get benefited by such sessions.

41. Several other Indian community associations belonging to various states join hands with the IPWF in rendering various types of assistance to the Indian pilgrims.

42. The pilgrims can visit the Consulate’s website at www.cgijeddah.com for obtaining updated information on different aspects of Haj.  Free Internet cafes have been set up at different places in Makkah and Madinah for the benefit of Hajis. The Hajis can also use the facilities of Indian Television channels and magazines available at the Community Centres in both the holy cities.

VIII. Movement To and From Madinah

43. If the sticker pasted at the door of your dwelling-place shows that some more pilgrims are supposed to join you, as per the computer list, please do not forget to hand over the key of the room to the designated guard (Haaris) of the building while leaving for Madinah, because strong possibilities are there that expected pilgrims may land-in after your departure and they may force us to break open the lock on the basis of their entitlement of staying in your locked room.

44.  Please stick to the time schedule provided by Madinah Movement section of Indian Haj Office while leaving for Madinah. Please take care that others do not suffer just because of the mistakes of one or two pilgrims.

45. Please remember that in Madinah, there are no categories of accommodation.  All pilgrims are accommodated in a single category, in and around the Ring Road (Sitheen St), upto a maximum distance of 850 metres.  However, depending on their actual arrival in Madina (usually the first and the last 7-8 days), pilgrims may get accommodated in the Markaziya area, abutting the Prophet’s Mosque.  It is quite possible that pilgrims belonging to Categories A & B of Makkah can get accommodated beyond the Ring Road, while those belonging to C & D categories of Makkah could get accommodated in the Markaziya area or along the Ring Road.

46. While going to Madinah before or after Haj take at least one pair or your woollen clothes with you as temperatures are quite low in Madina, especially during night and Fajr times. At the same time please don’t forget your Ihram set because you will require it while coming back to Makkah when you will have to enter in Ihram only.

47.  While coming back to Makkah after offering 40 Namaz at Madinah, your bus will stop at “Meeqat” (the border) which is known as “BEER – E -ALI” or “ZOOL - HALEEFA” also. This stoppage is for Ihram Observance. While leaving your bus to tie the Ihram, try to recognize your bus well so that you don’t face any difficulty in getting back to your designated bus. Most buses bear the same look, which may confuse you.  Try to remember the colour of the bus or its number.

IX. Stay in the Mashaer Area during the Haj Days

48.  On the 7^th, 8^th of Zil-Hij, while leaving for Mina, Arafat, please take two pairs of woollen clothes and one woollen brocade (Chadar) or light blanket with you because these days nights are very cold; specially since you  will have to spend the night in the open at Muzdalifa.

49. In Mina the Pilgrims are lodged in tents according to their Maktabs. They are transported from Makkah to Mina by buses arranged by the Maktabs. The space per pilgrim in the tents in Mina is only 1 sq m.  So please do not complain about shortage of space in your camps. However, make sure that no unauthorized persons occupy your camp.

50. All the Moallims looking after pilgrims from India belong to South Asian Moassasa, which is the largest Moassassa (Establishment) and is also called as Moassasa Janoob Aasia in Arabic.  The colour of the South Asian Mossassa is yellow. In Mina and Arafat the sign boards of Maktabs in Mina will be yellow.  Location of camps in Arafat will be marked by tall yellow pillars that are visible from a distance. The pilgrims must always carry identification cards and, if lost, ask the way for "Moassassa Junoob Asia" or Indian Haj Office or "Ba’tha Al Haj Al Hindiya". They must always remember the number of Moallim's Maktab.

51.  The Indian Consulate sets up an office at Mina along with a full fledged dispensary. The Indian camp is situated on the two main roads called the Souq-al-Arab and the Share-Johara and is easily identified by the large number of Indian flags.  

52. The Indian Haj Mission officials are spread around the whole of Mina area and can easily be identified by the blue jacket and INDIA/AL HIND markings. Some of the officials may be themselves performing Haj but they would be identified by the scarves bearing INDIA and AL HIND markings worn by them.  Some would also be carrying Indian flags with them.

53. Please do not hesitate to contact these officials if you face any kind of difficulty in Mina.  We have also made arrangements through the good offices of the South Asian Moassasa to locate a small contingent of doctors and paramedics in the tents provided by each of the Maktabs. These medical personnel would be available to provide immediate medical relief to you.  A similar administrative contingent would also be available in each of the camps to provide all possible assistance to you. 

54. In Mina you would be responsible to arrange your own food. There would be ample eateries and fast-food restaurants in Mina during the Haj days and there should not be any difficulty in arranging food or refreshments. You may also like to carry some dry ration with you from Makkah i.e. Biscuits, cookies, fruits, juices etc. An optional food package is offered by some Moallims on prior payment basis, which can be arranged with them directly, if you so wish.

55.  There are various levels from which pilgrims can perform Rami (stoning) at the Jamarat and each street leads to a specific level.  You should only go to the Jamarat at times allocated for your camp by the Saudi authorities. Indian Haj officials/ of the Officials of the Moallims and the South Asian Moassasa  will come and escort you to the Jamarat at these timings along with officials of the Maktab. In this manner stoning can be done with ease. You should never get stuck in a crowd that is not moving or that is observably stationary. Old and infirm pilgrims, children and women, who are not able to withstand the strain, can depute someone else to stone on their behalf.

56. One must also be very alert to the fact that some pilgrims of certain nationalities come in bunches and batches and push their way through. You should not get into their way or try to stop them as one could get harmed in the process.   It will be more sensible to avoid their path and wait till they get out. Do not try to go against the direction of the crowd. Move with the crowd. Do not lose temper and do not fight with others. It is advisable to move in groups from the camps with the assistance of the Khuddam-ul-Hujaj or other officials.  PLEASE DON’T ATTEMPT TO CARRY ANY HEAVY BAGS WITH YOU WHILE PERFORMING RAMI AT THE JAMARAT AS IT COULD PROVE TO BE FATAL. FROM LAST YEAR THE SECURITY AT JAMARAT HAS STARTED CONFISCATING ANY BAGGAGE THAT YOU MAY TRY TO TAKE…..THIS WAY YOU MAY LOSE YOUR VALUABLES.

57. The Saudi Ministry of Haj has instructed to all the Moallims to provide the Mina Camps to the pilgrims until 13^th Zul HIjj. The Ministry has also made a plan to stagger the departure of the Pilgrims from Mina to Makkah over 12^th and 13^th of Zul Hijj. The idea is well intentioned and would go a long way in reducing the congestion on the peak hour on 12^th Zul Hijja. As per the prevalent practice all the pilgrims leave Mina on 12^th Zul Hijja. It creates a lot of rush as every pilgrims would carry his baggage with him so that he can leave for Makkah immediately after performing the Rami Jamarat ritual of that day.

You would be suitably informed whether your departure form Mina would be on 12^th Zul Hijja or 13^th Zul Hijja. Please follow the instructions given to you in this regard.

Staying an additional night in Mina also conforms to the Sunnah (Prophet Muhammed PBUH stayed up till 13^th ZH in Mina when he performed Haj).

58.   We want all of you to perform your rituals safely without putting your lives in danger.  Please remember that no ritual is more important than human life.  Learned Ulemas of several schools of Islamic jurisprudence have given clear opinions on the subject.  Most Ulemas agree that it is necessary to dissuade pilgrims from exposing themselves to danger and have, thus, declared that Rami could lawfully be done at any time during the days of Tashreek.

59. Islam does not enjoin to suffer bodily harm or risking life. There are always options available and hence there is no need to hurry and in the process get harmed.  It is stated in the Holy Quran that Allah (s.w.t.)“...has placed no difficulties on you in matters concerning religion" (Al-Hajj 22:78).  In another verse it is stated: “Allah desires for you ease; He does not desire hardship for you” (Al-Baqarah 2:185).  Thus, we sincerely advise all of you to avail of the concessions given in Islam and not to expose your lives to danger.

60. ARAFAT is the crux of the Haj.  So please spend your entire time in prayers and zikr during the Wukoof in Arafat.  In Arafat, you should pray the Dhuhr and Asar prayers at your own camps. If you intend to go to Jabl-e-Rahma or Masjid-e-Nimra, you should study your camp locations and directions carefully before leaving the camp. Otherwise, there is a distinct possibility that you may get lost.  In case of any difficulty, you may contact the Indian Haj Office at Arafat for assistance.

61. Remember you are to leave Arafat only after the Magrib Azaan but have to say Magrib prayers combined with Isha only on reaching Muzdalifa, however long it takes. 

62. It might take 6-8 hours to cover the very short distance of 5-6 kms from Arafat to Muzdalifa by the buses.  The Saudi authorities have constructed a long pedestrian walkway from Arafat to Muzdalifa.  Strong and able-bodies Hajis could prefer walking from Arafat to Mina instead of taking a bus.  They could reach Muzdalifa in less than an hour. At Muzdalifa, queues at the toilets can extend upto two hours.  As Muzdalifa and Mina are contiguous, it may be advisable that those of you who are in a good state of health could walk over to their camps in Mina after the Fajr prayer on 10^th Zul Hijjah and then do the rituals without waiting for the buses which could be spared to transport the elderly and women pilgrims.

63. Please note that the Transportation in the Mashaer region (Mina-Arafat-Muzdalifa-Mina) is done on the basis of two cycles i.e. a single bus carrying 50 pilgrims to make two trips.  However, in most cases the buses are delayed or stuck up in traffic, necessitating the pilgrims to make their own arrangements during some of the legs in the Mashaer region. This is a perennial problem for which no visible solution seems to be in the sight in the immediate future.  As such the pilgrims are advised to tolerate this inconvenience gracefully in the spirit of accommodation.  Pilgrims may also note that as per Saudi Law, no refund would be given for unused transportation coupons in the Mashaer Region.

X. Post-Haj

64.   The departure from the Kingdom is either from Jeddah or Madina. Some pilgrims who came via Jeddah may go back from Madina. All the pilgrims should make sure of their departure schedule well in advance so as to avoid any last minute surprises.    

65.   All the pilgrims should follow the advice of the Moallims and the Indian Haj Mission officials for the departure phase. It is the requirement of the Saudi Government that all the pilgrims should reach the Jeddah Airport 8 hours before the departure of their flight.  Adding the travel time from Makkah to Jeddah Airport, all buses would leave 12 hours before the flight time from their respective buildings. It is essential for all the pilgrims that they are prepared at least by the time the buses arrives at the building for departure. All their baggage should have been packed and brought to the lobby of the building. Any last minute shopping and visit to other places should be avoided.  You should NOT go to perform TAWAF-E-WIDA after the buses arrive at your buildings.  This should, preferably, be completed 2-3 hours in advance.

66.  Under the normal circumstances, change of flights would not be permitted.  However, in cases of medical or other emergencies you can request for change of flights, subject to availability of vacancies.   In such cases you should contact the Computerized Reservation Terminal (CRT) of Air India set up at the Indian Haj Office. In case of Saudi Arabian Airlines, the tickets will be collected and changed by the staff of the Indian Haj Office.   There is absolutely no possibility of changing flights from Air India to Saudi Arabian Airlines or vice versa.

67.   The free check-in baggage allowed to each Indian pilgrim is 45 kgs and 10 kgs of hand baggage. The Indian pilgrim is also entitled to 10 ltrs of Zam Zam which will be provided by the airlines after reaching India at the disembarkation point. Therefore, there is no need for you to carry Zam Zam with you in your flights. You should ensure that the luggage has proper identification marks i.e. name, address and the pilgrim cover number. 

68. As far as possible carrying baggage in excess of entitlement should be avoided to ensure smooth departure.  If at all you have excess baggage, please make use of the CARGO facilities made available by Air India at Makkah and Madina.

69. Please do not forget to fill in the Post Haj Survey Form outlining your experience with various handling agencies.

  In order to make Haj easier, you always need to pray to Allah (s.w.t). You must show exemplary behaviour and patience that is befitting as the guests of Allah.  You should never lose sight of the main purpose (i.e. Haj) for which you are visiting the two Holy cities of Makkah and Madinah.  We, the officials, can only aid and assist you in your endeavour. It must be understood that no bandobast is foolproof and some short-comings would always be there in the arrangements.

     We urge all of you to exhibit the spirit of accommodation and understanding so that in the end you could experience a sense of supreme satisfaction and contentment.  

In the last, it is prayed to Allah that we may live in his grace in peace and ALLAH (s.w.t.) provide you the opportunity of observance of accomplished Haj-rituals and we also may share your prayers and good wishes.

May Allah grant us success!

        Thanking you,

                                                Sincerely Yours,

                                         (Dr. Ausaf Sayeed)

          Consul General of India

                         1.11.2007

Annexure

Agencies to approach for the Pilgrims in case of any problem/ Issues: