more-in Instead of reporting at Haj camp and the Haj House 48 hours before the scheduled departure, pilgrims can now register on Haj Committee of India website and cut down the waiting time by up to 24 hours. Every year, pilgrims from Telangana are asked to report at the Haj Camp in Haj House complex 48 hours prior to the departure of their flights. With the first flight scheduled to leave on August 1, the pilgrims are expected to arrive on July 29. The decision to allow registrations online was taken in view of the strain on Haj House staff with the arrival of pilgrims, from districts other than Hyderabad, along with their friends and relatives in large numbers. “Pilgrims can now visit www.hajcommitteeofindia.gov.in where they can register by entering their cover numbers. Once this is done, they will receive a booking slip. This will save them an entire day and night and they can come to the Haj House 24 hours before the departure,” said S.A. Shukoor, Telangana State Haj Committee Special Officer. Upon their arrival, officials and other staff members would begin to process their documents and issue boarding pass, tags and Saudi currency. Prof. Shukoor also said that the Consulate-General of India in Jeddah recently released a mobile phone app, Indian Haji Information System, which would help pilgrims in locating their accommodation. It would also enable them to contact the Indian Haj Mission in case of any emergency. “This apart, the app also informs a pilgrim who his or her moallim (guide) is. Pilgrims can also register their complaints, while a button will enable them to locate the nearest hospital, pharmacy and restaurant,” Prof. Shukoor added. As many as 8,000 pilgrims from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and four districts of Karnataka – Raichur, Bidar, Gulbarga (Kalburgi) and Udgir – would leave to perform Haj. They would disembark at Jeddah in Saudi Arabia by means of 26 flights from August 1 to August 16.

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