The traditionally sought-after Haj Committee, known for facilitating affordable journeys, has also witnessed a decline in popularity due to the considerable increase in travel expenses.
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — A notable decline has been seen in number of applications submitted to the Uttar Pradesh Haj Committee for pilgrimage to Makkah this year due to steep increase in the holy journey’s expenditure.
Only 304 individuals have applied from Rampur this year as against 1,249 persons who embarked on the pilgrimage in 2023. Rampur is not the sole district affected by this trend. Moradabad witnessed a decline from 2,702 forms in 2023 to 644 this year. Similarly, in Amroha, the numbers dwindled from 788 to 206, and in Bijnor, only 309 forms were filled compared to the previous year’s 1,050. Sambhal recorded a decline from 712 forms in 2023 to 214 this year, reports reaching here said on Sunday.
The traditionally sought-after Haj Committee, known for facilitating affordable journeys, has also witnessed a decline in popularity due to the considerable increase in travel expenses.
Until two years ago, the Haj Committee extended financial assistance by providing 2,100 Saudi riyals (approximately 46,000 Indian rupees) to each pilgrim, aiding in covering essential expenses. However, this practice was halted last year, causing the overall cost for Haj pilgrims to exceed 400,000 Indian rupees. The Haj Committee, as of now, has not disclosed the fare for the upcoming 2024 pilgrimage.
A steep decline in the number of applications, prompted the Haj Committee to extend the deadline for form submission to January 15. Despite the extension, the response has been lukewarm, with only 304 forms submitted in Rampur as of January 12, constituting a quarter of the applications received in the previous year.
The reasons behind this significant drop in applications remain undisclosed. As pilgrims face mounting expenses, the community eagerly awaits the Haj Committee’s announcement of the 2024 fare, hoping for a more accessible and affordable pilgrimage.
