Annual five-day Haj pilgrimage begins today

The annual five-day Haj pilgrimage commences today, as millions of Muslims from across the world, begin their journey from the holy city of Mecca to assemble in tent-city of Mina in Saudi Arabia.  They will spend the night there and move towards plains of Arafat at dawn tomorrow for the day’s main ritual of Haj-reciting prayers. The pilgrims will spend the day there praying and asking for God’s forgiveness.
Nearly one lakh 75 thousand pilgrims from India are performing Haj this year. For the first time, more than one thousand Indian women pilgrims have gone there without Mehram or male guardian.