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Bhopal latest in the list of embarkation
points for Hajis from India
Thursday, October 21, 2010 10:43:34 PM, Pervez Bari, ummid.com
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Bhopal:
Bhopal, the capital of central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh,
emerged on the international air map on Friday evening when the
first ever direct Hajj flight to Jeddah took off with 210
pilgrims. Bhopal, thus, became the latest new embarkation point
for Hajj pilgrims in India.
Touching and emotional scenes were on display in abundance at the
historic Taj-ul-Masajid campus here when with eyes welling-up with
tears the near and dear ones bade farewell to their relatives who
departed on Hajj pilgrimage on Friday immediately after the Juma
prayers from the transit point in four buses to the airport.
The Hajj pilgrims were profusely garlanded and people showered
marigold flowers on buses as it trooped out from the transit point
of Taj-ul-Masajid campus. People jostled with each other to have a
better look of the pilgrims as chaos prevailed.
Leader of the Opposition in the Indian Parliament (Lok Sabha) Mrs.
Sushma Swaraj and Member of Parliament Kailash Joshi flagged off
the first batch of Hajj pilgrims from the airport. While Madhya
Pradesh Urban Administration and Development Minister Babulal Gaur
flagged off the buses carrying Hajj pilgrims from the
Taj-ul-Masajid transit point to the airport.
It was the long cherished dream of the residents of Bhopal for a
direct Hajj flight which was realized on Friday when a plane load
of 210 pilgrims from Bhopal, Sehore and Raisen took off from the
Raja Bhoj airport of the State capital at about 6.35 pm, about 85
minutes behind schedule. The inaugural flight will fly pilgrims to
Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, with a stopover at Ras al-Khaimah (UAE),
for the first-leg of their journey to the twin cities of Makkah
and Madinah.
The take off marked the maiden international flight from the
Bhopal airport, which became the second embarkation point in
Madhya Pradesh after Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar airport in Indore for
the Hajj pilgrims. A daily flight would take off from here till
October 30 carrying 220 pilgrims each. The nine flights from the
State capital would carry only 1,980 pilgrims of the total 2,500
plus from the second embarkation point of the State, leaving over
800 pilgrims from Madhya Pradesh, who have been asked to board
their flights from Mumbai.
Over 200 pilgrims from Indore and 600 pilgrims from Bhopal have
not been scheduled from either of these embarkation points and
have been asked to board their flights from Mumbai, the dates of
such flights have not been communicated to the SHC or the pilgrims
as yet.
Meanwhile, of the 210 pilgrims who boarded the inaugural flight
166 belonged to Bhopal, 18 to Sehore and 26 are from Raisen. The
oldest pilgrim to board the flight was Akhter Mohammed Qureshi
aged 76 years, while the youngest is 18-year-old Danish from
Bhopal.
The select few who became a part of history by boarding the
first-ever international flight from the State capital also
included Nazia and Umar Usmani of Bhopal. The newly-weds were
embarking on the journey to the holy twin cities of Mecca and
Medina to perform the Hajj, less than a fortnight of entering into
matrimony.
Unlike Indore, the pilgrims embarking on the journey from the
State capital donned "Ahraam" (a two piece unstitched garment to
be worn while performing the Hajj or Umrah), from here itself.
Scholars said the "Ahraam" was required as the flight from Bhopal
to Jeddah would cross at least one of the "Meequat" (the five
points of entry to the holy city of Mecca) as part of their
journey. It is mandatory for every pilgrim to enter the limits of
the holy city as a "Muhrim" (dressed in the "Ahraam"), they added.
(pervezbari@eth.net)
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