As many as 6,806 pilgrims from across the state will go on Haj, of whom 4,766 will take the flight from Bangalore between October 2 and 12.
Addressing the reporters on Wednesday, chairman of Karnataka State Haj Committee (KSHC) M M Ahmed, said the committee had received 15,476 applications for this year’s Haj pilgrimage through online computerised district-wise ‘Qurrah’ or drawing of lots. Out of the total number of slots, the Haj Committee of India, Mumbai, in consultation with the Haj Cell and Ministry of External Affairs allocated 5,332 slots for pilgrims from Karnataka.
From the applicants, 406 who have applied for the fourth consecutive year and 784 others who are above 70 years were chosen first.
He said the flights will take off the pilgrims from Bangalore to Jeddah and then to Madina between October 2 and 12. Those leaving from Mangalore to Jeddah will leave between September 28 and October 2. Flights are also scheduled to take pilgrims from Hyderabad and Goa.
People belonging from Dakshina Kannada, Kodagu, Udupi, Hassan and Chikmagalur will take flights from Mangalore. Pilgrims from Belgaum and other districts of North Karnataka will leave from Goa. Hyderabad will be the departure point for pilgrims from Bidar, Yadgir and Gulbarga. Pilgrims from the remaining districts along with those from Anantapur (Andhra Pradesh) will leave from Bangalore.
Nearly 1,162 pilgrims have Mangalore as their embarkation point. Also, 728 pilgrims will be leaving from Hyderabad and 631 from Goa. Ahmed said a 12-day Haj Camp will be held from September 30 at Khuddus Saheb Idgah Maidan on Millers Road.
Haj Ghar in city
Members of KSHC said the state government had acquired 3.17 acres of land at Tirumenahalli in Yelahanka for the construction of Haj Ghar, for which the government had allotted `10 crore.