Srinagar, June 17: The first batch of 178 Hajj pilgrims returned to Srinagar from Jeddah this evening, officials said, adding that the flight landed at the Srinagar airport at around 9:15 pm.
Dr Shujaat Qureshi, Executive Officer, J&K Haj Committee, said that all necessary arrangements were made to ensure a smooth and welcoming return for the pilgrims.
The Haj House in Bemina had issued a notification stating that vehicle passes for those wishing to receive the pilgrims at the airport can be downloaded from the official website two days before the flight.
The notification said immigration clearance and baggage collection take approximately one hour after the flight’s arrival, along with the details of the remaining flights, which will be notified separately.
Emotional scenes were witnessed at the Srinagar airport pilgrims reunited with their families after undertaking the holy journey.
During Hajj 2025, a woman pilgrim from Jammu and Kashmir died, while all the other pilgrims are safe. It is noteworthy that during Hajj 2024, 98 Indian pilgrims died due to heat stroke. Among them, 10 pilgrims from the Kashmir Valley, including a couple, were also killed. Five women pilgrims from Kashmir died of heat stroke in Arafat and Muzdalifah. Four of these women belonged to Srinagar district, while one female pilgrim belonged to Kulgam district of south Kashmir.
This year, out of the total number of pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir, 3356 left for Hajj from Srinagar Airport. While the rest of the pilgrims chose other embarkation points in the country.
The 2025 Hajj formally came to an end after pilgrims completed the ritual of stoning at the three Jamarat in Mina and then left the Tent City for Makkah to perform the last obligatory Hajj ritual, Tawaf Al-Wida (farewell Tawaf), as over 1.6 million pilgrims participated in this year’s Hajj.
It is pertinent to mention that due to heightened tensions between India and Pakistan earlier this year in May, many flights were cancelled for days, resulting in a delay for pilgrims to reach Mecca and Madina.
At least more than 2,200 pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir were left stranded, prompting the J&K Haj Committee to consider operating additional flights to clear the backlog.