First flight carrying 324 Haj pilgrims from Assam to depart today from Guwahati

• Image Credit: Google

• May 16, 2024 | Guriya Khatun

Special flights bound for Medina will be operating from the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati. 

Digital Desk: The annual Hajj pilgrimage for the residents of Assam, Meghalaya and other Northeast states is starting from begin Thursday. Around 4 thousand pilgrims from the region are expected to participate in this sacred journey to Medina in Saudi Arabia.

A total of 3937 people from Assam and Northeast had applied for the Haj pilgrims and the first batch of 324 pilgrims for the year 2024 will depart from Guwahati today at 6 pm. Over 3 thousand pilgrims are from Assam.

Special flights bound for Medina will be operating from the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati. According to Northeast Hajj Committee Chairman Nekibur Zaman, the first batch is scheduled to depart from Guwahati on May 16th, with the pilgrimage continuing until May 25th. Zaman also mentioned recent district-wise training sessions for the pilgrims, overseen by the Haj Committee.

Similar to the previous year, a Hajj Welcome Committee has been established at Guwahati Airport to assist the pilgrims. Altaf Hussain, a retired senior government official, has been appointed as the committee's president. Hussain informed the reporter that each flight will accommodate 324 pilgrims, with two flights departing daily from Guwahati Airport. After a 42-day journey, the pilgrims will begin their return to Guwahati from Mecca in separate batches.

It's worth noting that in 2023, a total of 3,454 pilgrims from the Northeast region participated in the Hajj. Unfortunately, six pilgrims passed away due to various illnesses during their stay in Mecca and Medina.