By TCN Staff Reporter,
Patna: The first batch of Haj pilgrims from Bihar flew Thursday morning from Patna airport to Delhi en route to Jeddah. The first batch was consisting of 300 pilgrims who left for the holy cities of Mecca and Medina in two groups from here.
To give them the warm see off, Bihar Haj Committee organized a program on Wednesday evening at Haj Bhavan in Patna. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar along with his some cabinet colleagues was present there to send off them on the holy tour.
Amir-e-Shariat Hazrat Maulana Syed Nizamuddin who led the dua gave tips to the pilgrims as what to do and what to avoid during their 40-day stay there.
On his part, Nitish Kumar expressed his good wishes to the pilgrims. “When you pray at the holy places, please pray for the progress and prosperity of Bihar and also pray for communal harmony and friendly atmosphere in the state” he appealed to the going pilgrims.
Other dignitaries who were present at the function include Bihar Haj Committee Chairman Maulana Anisur Rahman Qasmi, Minority Welfare Minister Shahid Ali Khan, Water Resources Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, Bihar Sunni Waqf Board Chairman Mohammad Irshadullah, Bihar Minority Commission Chairman Naushad Ahmad, Bihar Madarsa Board Chairman Maulana Ijaz Ahmad and MLC Professor Aslam Azad. Besides pilgrims and their relatives, a number of people also attended the program.
Bihar has a quota of 10,000 pilgrims from central Haj Committee but the state never utilizes the quota fully. This year, Bihar will be sending 5,804 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia, with 300 pilgrims daily flying to Jeddah from Delhi from September 29 to October 17.