First Haj flight from Mangaluru to Madinah on July 17

Mangaluru, Jul 13: The stage is set for this year’s Haj flights under the aegis of Karnataka State Haj Committee with the first flight departing for Madinah from Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) on July 17. This year’s Haj flights also mark the decennial year of move by the Union government to start this facility for Muslims undertaking this pilgrimage from this coastal city and third year of direct flights to Madinah and Jeddah.

Then minister for external affairs S M Krishna had inaugurated the first Haj flight on October 25, 2009 and thus far, more than 6000 have undertaken the Haj pilgrimage from Mangaluru. For the current Haj season, 750 Muslims from Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan and Kodagu will undertake Haj and they will depart for Madinah on three days starting July 17 in five different flights scheduled to operate from MIA.

B M Mumtaz Ali, secretary of Mangaluru Haj Management Committee told reporters that hitherto Muslims from this part of the state embarking for Haj had to do so via Bengaluru. It was efforts of political leaders that saw then Union government consider Mangaluru as a Haj embarkation point, he said, adding the committee headed by Y Mohammad Kunhi, under the aegis of State Haj committee has overseen all preparations since then.

The committee has organised Haj camp for the 750 pilgrims at Ansar School at Bajpe where pre-embarkation procedure including luggage check-in, immigration check will start from July 15. Pilgrims coming from distant places will be provided boarding and lodging. While pilgrims from DK, Udupi district will leave on July 17 and 18, remaining pilgrims from DK and Udupi and those from Kodagu, Hassan and Chikkamagaluru will leave on July 19.

The pilgrims will return to Mangaluru in batches from August 31 to September 2 via Jeddah, he said adding these 750 pilgrims will be part of 8000-odd pilgrims from Karnataka to perform Haj. Across India, 2-lakh Muslims will undertake Haj and this includes 1.40-lakh under government quota and rest in private quota organised by Haj tour operators. In all, the 1.40-lakh pilgrims will be leaving for Haj from 21 embarkation points in India.

On the issue of Haj Ghar for the city, Ali said efforts are on at various levels to secure a suitable plot of land. There were issues with land first scouted at Kenjar and later at Malavoor, he said, adding committee has since zeroed in on a Waqf property at Adyar. B Z Zameer Ahmad Khan, minister for Wakf and Haj has assured to expedite clearance for the Haj Ghar once land is settled and Haj Committee has Rs 10 crore in its kitty for this purpose.