By TCN Staff Reporter,
Lucknow: With tearful eyes and devotion in heart, around 900 Muslim pilgrims left for Mecca for Haj pilgrimage on Tuesday October 12. The notable feature being that more than half of the lot was elderly.
They were bid farewell by the senior cabinet minister and Chairman, State Haj Committee (SHC) Naseemudding Siddqui.
“Nearly 65-70 percent of the devotees are elderly and above 55 years of age. These people spend their whole life savings to accomplish Haj-one of the five basic tenets of Islam,” said OSD State Haj Committee, MAA Khan.
“It is our wish that peace prevails in our country and we will pray for it at Mecca,” said Mohammad Razi, a pilgrim from Azamgarh.
He was not alone in expressing this wish. All the travelers echoed Mohammad Razi that they will use the opportunity to pray for peace and prosperity in India.
A total of 29887 passengers will leave for Haj pilgrimage this year from the state which includes an enhanced quota of 3000 seats.