KOZHIKODE, 20 October 2007 — Kerala Haj Committee has set up a 23-member cell to assist pilgrims going for Haj this year, an official statement said. Officials from different government departments are members of the committee, headed by Mohammed Koroth, finance officer at the office of the chief district administrator here.
There are four assistant officers and 13 assistants in the Kerala Haj cell. The cell will operate from Nov. 9 to Dec. 2. Details of the pilgrims have been posted on the official website http://haj.kerala.nic.in. Health details of all pilgrims would be made available in Makkah. As many as 7,670 pilgrims are going for pilgrimage under the Haj Committee this year. Some 110,000 of 157,000 pilgrims from India this year would be sent by the government and 47,000 by private tour operators.
Cruise Liners Line Up for Kochi
At least 13 luxury cruise liners carrying hundreds of passengers are set to sail to the Kerala’s port city this tourist season. The first vessel MV Seaborne Spirit will call at the Cochin Port on Nov. 28.
Nautica, Oriana, Seven Seas Voyages, Pacific Princess, Silver Shadow and Silver Whisper are some of the vessels which will visit Kochi in the coming months. The port management expects more vessels this year in Kochi which has already become a preferred port of call in South Asia for liners from around the globe. Last year, 38 vessels carrying 16,181 passengers and 11,239 crew had visited booming city.
