Stay at Makkah Al Mukkarramah

General Information/precautions

All the accommodation 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. The hiring is done through an elaborate 3-tier procedure involving member of the State Haj Committees, Central Haj Committee and the Consulate General of India in Jeddah. The pilgrims should therefore feel reassured that the accommodation is in strict accordance with the norms and procedures. As such every pilgrim get 3.5 sq meter which is actually quite less but this cannot be changed as more that 2 million pilgrims come and stay in limited space of  Makkah and thus the Saudi Government has made these norm. Till the year 2005 the space norm was 3.0 sq meters per pilgrim which was increased to 3.5 sq meter last year.

The is year the following Accommodation Categories are available in Makkah:

  On the basis of success of the last Haj the Azizia Category is being continued where  the transportation would be available. 

 All the pilgrims would have to share the bathroom and kitchen facilities that they should do in the spirit of brotherhood and adjustment. A little patience on part of pilgrims can solve a lot of hassles and problems. It is therefore very important to emphasize this.

All the pilgrims are provided with metal frame beds in the rooms along with mattresses, pillows and bed sheets. Beds are enough to keep some luggage under it; however, hoarding of lot of stuff should be discouraged as the space in the rooms is limited.  Each bathroom would have a bucket, a mug and provision for the hot water.

The Saudi Authorities have clarified that the whole of the Makkah region including  Azizia is the Hudud Al Haram i.e. falls under the Haram Sharif Area.

Pilgrims who wish to go to Haram Sharif for the prayers should try to go out of the building much before the prayer time as exactly at prayer time they will find a lot of rush for the lift in which case they may even miss prayers. Overcrowding of lifts results in break-downs and can cause accidents. In case a lift breaks down every effort will be made to repair it forthwith. However it may be understood that during peak periods the demand for lift technicians and the traffic conditions in Makkah may lead to some inadvertent delay.

            Pilgrims should 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, economising on the use of water is essential. If there are leaking taps or toilets, pilgrims must immediately bring this to the notice of the caretaker of the building (Haaris) and the building supervisor deputed by the Consulate. Many buildings in Makkah have western style commodes. It is essential that pilgrims are acquainted with their use in advance.

          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.

Every day each building will be visited by a building supervisor who will check with the Haaris 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.

As regards food in Makkah, there are many restaurants and eating places which sell cheap food including roti, rice, dal, vegetables and chicken at nominal prices. Roti or bread is very cheap and fruits are also available in plenty. Given the foreign exchange component given to our pilgrims, it is very much affordable and perhaps cheaper if pilgrims make arrangements and eat in groups. The suggestion is that for breakfast they can have fresh fruits, bread, eggs and milk or fruit juices and for lunch and dinner they can have normal meals with rice, roti, vegetables and non-vegetarian dishes. 

          It is good to drink plenty of water during the course of the day. The Zam Zam water is available free of cost all around the Haram Sharief. At other places water can be bought. Besides, Maktabul Zamazima delivers Zam Zam to pilgrims at the rate of one litre per pilgrim in their buildings after 10^th Zul Qada.

The kitchen space in the buildings is limited and adjustments for cooking timings will need to be made. It is not possible for all pilgrims to cook their food as they do back home in India.  Electric cookers cannot be used in the rooms for fear of fire. Kerosene stoves as well as gas stoves can be used in kitchens. However, pilgrims have to pay for the refill of gas cylinders.  

All the pilgrims should also read the various instructions and advices pasted by the Indian Haj Mission or the Moallims. These are usually pasted at the prominent places in the buildings.

At the Haram Sharif in Makkah

          First of all while visiting the Holy Haram Sharief all the pilgrims 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 disturbances etc. Saudi officials/ police authorities are spread out in the Harm Sharif area, even in the civil dress, and any unusual act is always noticed. Also when caught by the police or the Saudi Authorities the pilgrims should be advised not to speak anything as it may be interpreted against him . The pilgrims should rather insist for the presence of an official from the Indian Haj Mission before speaking anything to these authorities.

        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. Pilgrims need to be educated about the use of conveyor belts which are used to carry people to the upper floors and the terrace.  By their unfamiliarity with the use of conveyor belts and by holding on to the railings, pilgrims tend to create a stampede like situation and in the process hurt themselves. 

In the Haram Sharif, pilgrims should always carry a plastic bag to keep their sandals/shoes.  Also they can carry a prayer mat in case there is too much rush and have to offer their prayers in the open or by roadside.   

        Outside the Haram Sharif there are very good toilets and wudukhanas and it is not necessary to go every time to the room to wash and come back for prayers. However, care needs to be taken that during the wudu valuables are not snatched or stolen. The Arabic word for "thief" is "Haraami".   It is preferable to deposit extra cash or valuables with the Moallims against a proper receipt.  Several lockers are also available just outside the Haram Sharief to keep valuables or cash for a period of few hours.

        Losing the way in the vast Haram Sharief is common with pilgrims. Therefore, while entering the Haram Sharief pilgrims should look around from inside the courtyard. There are five coloured gates leading outside. They must remember the colour, name or number of the gate which leads to their house in Makkah. This is the easiest way to remember. All the gates of the Haram Sharief are numbered for convenience. In any case, pilgrims in difficulty should look for our Task Force officers who, clad in blue INDIA marked jackets, are throughout ready around the Haram for guiding the pilgrims.  

Indian Haj Mission Services 

        There are 11 branch dispensaries and 11 branch offices for the convenience of pilgrims opened by the Consulate in various areas which house Indian pilgrims at Makkah. All Indians are welcome to use these facilities. Additionally there is a main Indian Haj Office and main Hospital at the Ajyad area of Makkah, opposite the Ajyad Makkah Hotel.

        Knowing the telephone numbers of branch office, branch dispensary, main Indian Haj office and main Indian dispensary along with the telephone number of Maktab and the contact telephone numbers of friends or relatives in Makkah, Madinah and Jeddah will definitely prove useful at times of need.  Some loose change (coins) which can be used in case of need to telephone any of these places will come handy. Telephone facilities are available in great abundance in Makkah and Madinah. There are a number of manned telephone booths which accept Riyal notes.  There is also a toll free line whereby when the pilgrims call he does not have to pay anything. This line is available for all the pilgrims round the clock. The Pilgrims can use this line to make any enquiry or to lodge any complaint.

        Indian Haj office runs computerized data base of all pilgrims and their places of accommodation. A pilgrim can be located with the punching of a key. All it takes is a visit or a call to the Indian branch office.   Some but not all branch offices also have free internet facilities for the pilgrims.

        There are also the Task Force officials who would be wearing 'India" marked jackets, T-shirts and caps. There only duty is to move around the Haram Sharif area and be available to the pilgrims to help and guide them. So the pilgrims should be advised to locate them and seek their help and guidance freely without hesitation.

Complaints about buildings and medical service and other problems that pilgrims may have such as misplaced or lost-baggage should be immediately reported to the concerned section listed in the organizational chart the Indian Haj Mission above. Theft or loss of cash should be reported to the General Welfare Section which will immediately provide financial relief to the pilgrim. 

Some further useful tips

                        Assistance/help for the pilgrim is available at every step; he/she should seek it, if needed freely without hesitation. The redressal of the pilgrim’s grievances will be ensured preferably there and then provided he/she registers a complaint, if genuine. The pilgrim can easily identify the IHM officers wearing blue jackets with the distinctive tri-colour of the Indian flag printed on the jacket along with BHARAT and AL HIND (in Hindi and Arabic) at the back and INDIA (in English) on the front. The pilgrim will be received at the airport (Jeddah/Madinah) by the officers of Indian Haj Mission (IHM). The pilgrim need not panic for anything; these officers will take care of the pilgrim’s reception/collection of baggage after he/she is cleared by Saudi authorities. The pilgrim should cooperate with the IHM staff members who will take care of his/her baggage and load it on the bus in which the pilgrim will travel from Madinah airport to his building or from Jeddah to Makkah.

        If by any chance the pilgrim’s baggage gets lost or misplaced, he/she should inform the Lost Baggage Section for its retrieval.  In case of theft or loss of pilgrim’s foreign allowance/currency, he/she should report to the General Welfare Section for immediate monetary relief.

        Should the pilgrim require medical treatment on arrival due to any reason there is a dispensary open round the clock at the airport. If the pilgrim is not able to walk to the dispensary, he/she can summon the doctor to his/her room. There is a Dispensary open around the clock in the pilgrim’s own accommodation district along with the branch offices. He/she must feel free to use it.

      On arrival at the building, the Moallim will provide loaders to carry the pilgrim’s baggage to his/her room. The Moallim is also expected to offer to the pilgrim a hot meal on arrival. For any accommodation related problem, the pilgrim should register a complaint in the Building Complaint Register which is available at the reception desk of the pilgrim’s building.