Mumbai: A new mobile phone application, called 'Haj Suvidha', which was announced in March, by the Ministry of Minority Affairs and the Haj Committee of India (HCI) is now available to be downloaded.
The app, which has been created for the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage to the Muslim holy cities of Makkah and Madina in Saudi Arabia, will help pilgrims, especially first-time travelers, and women who are going without a Mahram, or male companion, to navigate their way through the pilgrimage.
The Hajj starts on June 14 and will end on June 19, but flights from Mumbai carrying pilgrims are expected to start later this month. The mobile application will guide pilgrims through Hajj rituals, and prayers, apart from providing information on medical services, luggage tracking through QR codes, a digital Koran, and information on tickets and passports. The app will also feature a SOS button for emergencies.
The pilgrimage is one of the pillars of Islam and this year, 1.75 Lakh will undertake the journey from India. The HCI has announced an extension on the last date for the third installment of the pilgrimage fees to be paid by those who have been selected in the HCI quota. Over 2600 of the approximately 1.4 Lakh pilgrims who will be traveling through the HCI quota are yet to pay the last installment. The last date, which was April 27, has been extended to May 4.
Community groups are stepping in to prepare the pilgrims for the trip, which will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most. Meanwhile, the Hajj Committees and community groups have started training sessions for those who have been selected for the journey.
Trainers from the Hajj Committee of India and the Maharashtra State Haj Committee. The Ministry of Minority Affairs has trained more than 550 people from all over India to guide and instruct Hajj travelers in the various aspects of the pilgrimage.
