All arrangements for over one lakh Indian Hajj pilgrims this year have been completed by Indian authorities in Saudi Arabia.
According to the Indian Consulate in Jeddah, all those dealing with Indian pilgrims have been asked to make elaborate arrangements for water, washrooms and sanitation inside the camps where pilgrims are staying.
Indian Hajj Mission teams have inspected all the camps and they are now stationed at all the camps so that the pilgrims can report any problem to them.
A total of 546 personnel have been deputed from India for this year's Hajj. They include six coordinators, 54 assistant Hajj officers, 191 Hajj assistants and 295 medical workers, according to Saudi Gazette report.
They have been also urged to put adequate staff for care taking of the pilgrims. A total of 34 Indian camps have been established to provide breakfast and meals to the pilgrims.
This year, Minister for Health & Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ambassador of India to Saudi Arabia Hamid Ali Rao would form the official Indian Haj Goodwill delegation.
The Hajj pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam that should be performed at least once in lifetime by every Muslim who is financially and physically capable. This year, the pilgrimage starts on Sunday and ends on October 18.
Indian Hajj Mission has already opened its offices in Mecca which will function round the clock.
Medical dispensaries have already been established and equipped with medicines and other supplies. Fully renovated and fully equipped ambulances have also been deployed.
As many as 1,00,191 Indian pilgrims, carried by a total of 337 flights of Saudi Airlines and Air India, have arrived in Saudi Arabia till Thursday.
Last year a total of 3.2 million faithful, including 1.75 million foreigners from 190 countries, performed the pilgrimage to Mecca, Islam's holiest site.
