The Haj camp of KCH, the official facilitator, started functioning Monday at Haj House near the airport at Karipur in the northern district of Malappuram, the only embarkation point in the southern Indian state. The minister will flag off the first flight that at 12 p.m. local time on Thursday.
“All arrangements for their departure have been completed by the Haj House. These pilgrims include those from the (federally-administered) Lakshadweep Islands and Mahe as well,” Kutty said in a statement here Tuesday.
The Haj House had already received the visa-stamped passports of pilgrims from the Central Haj Committee and it had started preparing travel documents by the “Haj cell” consisting of 25 government employees led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Abdul Kareem.
Nas Air, the subsidiary of Saudi National Air Services will be operating 29 special flights carrying a total of 8602 pilgrims from here until Nov. 3 following a schedule prepared by the Central Haj Committee.
There will be two flights, each with a capacity to carry 300 pilgrims, a day—at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. and three flights on Oct. 25—at 10 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Each pilgrim will receive SR2,000 from the Haj camp. A pilgrim can carry 45 kg in check-in baggage and 10 kg in hand baggage while they are allowed to carry 10 kg of Zamzam water on return flight.
The pilgrims have been advised to report at the Haj House one day prior to the scheduled date of departure of their assigned flights. There was only one flight a day last year—that too on a smaller aircraft.
Authorities say the Haj camp need not be kept open for more than two week as pilgrims can easily fly within that time thanks to the increase in frequency of flights and bigger aircraft. The pilgrims will be flown to Madinah while their return will be via Jeddah.
Arrangements have been made for the pilgrims to offer prayers and take rest at the Haj House which has been renovated to receive the guests. The pilgrims have been administered the mandatory vaccines.
Thirteen government officials will accompany the pilgrims to Jeddah for their assistance. Another team of 30 doctors and paramedics had been selected to be part of the contingent to look after the health of pilgrims.
The minister said experienced volunteers had been posted at the Haj House to help the pilgrims. A temporary camp office of the Malappuram district collector, who is also the executive officer of the Haj Committee, has been opened at the Haj camp. Trains passing through Kozhikode are stopping at Feroke for the pilgrims to alight on their way to the camp.
The return of the pilgrims would begin from Dec.1 and the last Haj flight is scheduled for Dec. 15.
The largest contingent is from Kozhikode district (2,531) followed by Malappuram (2055). The smallest number is from Pathanamthitta (33). Some 50,000 people had applied for undertaking Haj through Kerala Haj Committee this year from whom the selection was made through a draw of lot.
