Perform Haj in your youth…for on the Day of Judgment Allah shall bestow His shade on the young who worship Him in their youth.
This old Islamic quote is being taken seriously by Jharkhand city youth, as the number of youth going for Haj this year which starts on September 9 and ends on September 14, has increased exponentially from the State.
JSHC officials have said that the first flight for Haj which will take off for Madeena on Monday afternoon with maximum quota of 140 passengers a day from Birsa Munda Airport in Ranchi will have more than two dozen youth in it.
“This is the new trend we are witnessing in recent years. Earlier, it used to be an affair of senior-most family members among most Muslim families. However, rural areas of Jharkhand still portray the same old picture where older ones are going for Haj this year also,” said Jharkhand State Haj Committee (JSHC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Nurul Hoda.
A total of 2,753 Muslim citizens from the State will be witnessing only once in a lifetime affair (at subsidised expense) of visiting to their holiest place on this earth, the Mecca mosque during Haj week this year.
Though the exact number of females remains uncounted, Hoda said that the males kept on outnumbering females this year also.
At the same time, though the number has increased on yearly basis, there has not been any significant increase in total number of pilgrims in comparison to last year.
Ranchi (district) counts for the largest number in this with a total of 547 pilgrims going to Haj between August 8 and August 28.
“Though Dumka (district) counts for the least number with merely 13 people going to Haj this year, but it is distinct in a way that as of now, a lady named Idan Bibi from this district itself happens to be the oldest pilgrim among these 2,753 to Mecca at the age of 86 years,” said JSHC member and spokesperson Khursheed Hassan Roomi.
He said that daily flight on 8th-20th August will be Ranchi-Madeena non-stop with only a technical stop at Sharjah for refueling purposes.
Flights on 21st-27th will be non-stop between Ranchi and Jeddah, as these will have just little over four hours of flying duration.
However, non-availability of a Haj House remains one of the biggest problems in managing Haj from Ranchi.
“Haj is once in a lifetime affair and those going to and coming from Mecca are worshipped equally. This is why we usually see at least 4-5 family members escorting one would-be-Haji. And this is why we need to arrange at least 4-5 times accommodations for Haj pilgrims and their family members/relatives. In absence of a Haj House, we have to arrange the same at two locations, Madarsa Jamia Hussainia at Kadru and Risaldar Baba Banquet Hall at Doranda,” said Roomi.
Notably, CM Raghubar Das has announced that the foundation of Haj House in Ranchi would be laid on October 2. As of now, the 9-storey Haj House will cost some Rs53 Crores. This is expected to be functional for next year Haj. Roomi said that this would help a lot.
“This will also be used as training centre for Muslim youth and, educational centre for kids and cultural centre, as happens with Haj Houses in Mumbai and other parts of the country,” said Roomi.
Jharkhand had lost as many as 15 lives during Meena stampede last year during Haj Days.
“We organised one day training in all 24 districts for would-be-Hajis to train and educate them to avoid situations like these. We have trained them about where to go, how to go, how to behave, and many other do’s and don’ts while being in Mecca,” added Hoda.
He said that the central government also remains prepared to offer its citizens all kinds of assistance during those days in Madeena, Jeddah and other places.