Despite Saudi Arabia’s decision to resume the Hajj pilgrimage this year following a two-year halt due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the Gujarat Hajj Committee has received much fewer applications from people interested in participating in the pilgrimage this year.
According to Salman Mansuri, the Gujarat State Hajj Committee’s coordinator (information technology), the committee has received roughly 7,200 applications this year, compared to almost 33,000 in 2019. Mansuri speculated that the drop may be due to “Covid-19 and pilgrims’ financial situation.”
Saudi Arabia declared in April that it will allow 10 lakh Muslims, both domestic and international, to participate in the Hajj this year. In 2019, about 25 lakh pilgrims were allowed. The lower limit reflects current Covid limitations globally, as well as the Arab kingdom’s requirements of allowing pilgrimage only for fully vaccinated Muslims under the age of 65.
Meanwhile, since the authorized number of pilgrims visiting Saudi Arabia has declined, the country-wise allocation has decreased, resulting in a reduction in state-wise allocation within India. As a result, the All-India quota for sending Hajj pilgrim has been reduced from over 2,00,000 in 2019 to 79,000 this year.
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