By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
Bhopal: The first batch of Hajis, Muslim pilgrims, from Madhya Pradesh took their flight for Jeddah from Bohpal on Saturday. A total of 230 pilgrims took the first flight from the state capital.
Tears welling from their eyes, family and friends bade an emotional farewell to their relatives who left for the pilgrimage to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from the historic Taj-ul-Masajid campus, the Hajj transit point, in buses to the Raja Bhoj International Airport.
Hajj pilgrims leaving the campus of historical Taj-ul-Masajid campus for the Raja Bhoj Bhopal airport for Makkah in Saudi Arabia
As the buses slowly rolled out of the transit point the air became thick from the reverberations caused by Talbeeha “Labbaik Alhumma Labbaik……” raise by the Hajj pilgrims.
With 230 on board, the first Hajj flight took off at 1.55 p.m. from Bhopal airport to Jeddah en-route the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah for the 2012 Hajj pilgrimage scheduled to be performed in the last week of this month.
Of the 230 Hajj pilgrims who boarded the inaugural Air India flight, one-year-old Baby Alvira and two-year-old Master Mohammad Ali were the youngest pilgrims, while the oldest was 84-year-old Yaaseen.
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.
Hajis 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 glimpse of the pilgrims as chaos prevailed.
Pilgrims boarded buses after Shahar Qazi Bhopal, Maulana Syed Mushtaque Ali Nadvi conducted dua (prayer) for peaceful and safe Hajj.
It may be pointed out here that Hajj is one of the five tenets of Islam. Performing Hajj is obligatory to every sane, financially able and adult Muslim, at least once in his life time.
Meanwhile, in the absence of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), ruled Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, BJP President Prabhat Jha, Member of Parliament, Rampal, Madhya Pradesh Minorities Commission Chairman Anwar Mohammad Khan, BJP Minority Cell Chief Hidayatullah, M.P. Hajj Committee Chairman Dr. Sanawwar Patel, MP Urdu Academy chairman Salim Qureshi, M.P. Madarsa Board chairman Rashid Khan were present to see off the first batch of Hajj pilgrims.
The lone Congress leader P. C. Sharma was also present amongst others on the occasion.
Over 4000 pilgrims from Madhya Pradesh would perform Hajj under the care of Hajj Committee of India this year. A total nine flights would take off from Bhopal and a similar number from Indore.
The Hajj flight schedule which started from Bhopal on October 6 would continue till October 11 carrying 230 pilgrims each. The nine flights from the State capital would carry 2070 pilgrims while from Indore the departure of 2070 Hajj pilgrims in nine flights would begin from October 12 with last flight being on October 17. Both from Bhopal and Indore daily one flight would take off except on three days when two flights would ply the Hajj pilgrims from each of the two embarking points.
It may be recalled here that Bhopal, the capital of central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, emerged on the international air map in October 2010 when the first ever direct Hajj flight to Jeddah took off with 210 pilgrims. Bhopal, thus, became the new embarkation point for Hajj pilgrims in India.
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