About 20 lakh pilgrims from across the world have gathered at tent city of Mina, in Saudi Arabia, as five- day annual Haj pilgrimage began on Friday. They will spend the night there and move towards plains of Arafat at dawn tomorrow for the day’s main ritual of Haj-reciting prayers. The pilgrims will spend the day there praying and asking for God’s forgiveness.
Nearly 1.75 lakh pilgrims from India are participating in Haj rituals. Out of this, one lakh 40 thousand twenty pilgrims have reached there through Haj Committee while nearly 35,000 through private operators. More than 5,000 Indian women pilgrims are taking part in pilgrimage without Mehram or male guardian.