The first batch of 304 pilgrims from Srinagar left for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Thursday to perform this year’s Hajj pilgrimage. Special buses from the Srinagar Hajj House in Bemina area took the pilgrims to the Srinagar airport in the wee hours of Thursday. The passengers will first go to Delhi and afterwards will board the direct flight to Jeddah. The authorities had made special arrangements for the people in Srinagar and luxurious buses were hired for convenient travelling. The Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims, and a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that is carried out at least once in their lifetime. Deputy Commissioner (DC) Srinagar Shahid Iqbal tweeted that a total number of 304 pilgrims left from the Srinagar International Airport.
