Haj pilgrims back at home
1,065 pilgrims from DK, Kodagu, Udupi, Hassan and C’magalur travelled
The second batch of Haj pilgrims, who had undertaken pilgrimage from Mangalore, returned home on Tuesday.
On Monday, the Airbus A-310 carrying 220 pilgrims, landed at the Mangalore International Airport at around 2:15 pm.
As many as 1,065 pilgrims from Dakshina Kannada, Kodagu, Udupi, Hassan and Chikmagalur districts, availing the government subsidy facility had flown from Mangalore this year.
Karnataka State Haj Committee Chief Executive Officer Maaz Ahmed Shareef, Mangalore Haj Management Committee President Y Muhammad Kunhi, Dakshina Kananda District Wakf Advisory Committee President H S Usman among others welcomed the pilgrims.
Despite a delay of around three hours, the pilgrims had no serious complaints about airliner. Relatives and friends of the pilgrims, who had gathered outside the airport terminal to welcome their dear ones, had to wait for three hours due to the flight delay.
“Barring delay of three hours, the pilgrims did not face any problem. The Zam Zam water cans, which had arrived at the airport before us were handed ovefrom holyland to homeland: A Haj pilgrim arrived at Mangalore Airport on Monday.
Maaz Ahmed Shareef said that the remaining pilgrims would return in the next five days. The third and fourth batches each consisting of 219 pilgrims will return on Wednesday and Thursday respectively, while the fifth and final batch consisting of 187 people will return on Friday, he said.
Out of 1,065 pilgrims, who had boarded Haj flights from Mangalore this year, 547 are males and 518 are females.
