Haj pilgrims return to Telangana, Haj season incident free: officials
All Haj pilgrims who had left for Saudi Arabia have returned, with the last batch arriving in Hyderabad on the evening of June 22. This
All Haj pilgrims who had left for Saudi Arabia have returned, with the last batch arriving in Hyderabad on the evening of June 22. This marks the arrival of over 6,600 pilgrims from Telangana, and the culmination of Haj Season 2026, which authorities described as incident free, and largely without any major complaints. As many as 9,685 pilgrims, including those from other States such as Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Odisha, had left from the Hyderabad embarkation point. Of the total number of pilgrims 4,960 were men and 4,725 were women.
The Telangana State Haj Committee had received 11,757 applications for Haj 2026. Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Telangana State Haj Committee chairman Syed Ghulam Afzal Biyabani said the successful completion of the pilgrimage was the result of coordinated arrangements made in Telangana, Haj Committee of India and the Saudi Arabian authorities. Of the 9,685 pilgrims who departed from the Hyderabad embarkation point, 6,646 were from Telangana, while the remaining pilgrims were from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and several other States. “The arrangements made both in Telangana and Saudi Arabia, including transport facilities, were good and we did not receive any complaints from pilgrims,” Mr. Biyabani said.
He said the Haj inspectors who accompanied the pilgrims were mindful of their duties and ensured that necessary assistance was extended throughout the pilgrimage. The Telangana State Haj Committee was unique in providing services to pilgrims irrespective of sect or school of thought, he added. Biyabani said applications for Haj 2026 had increased by around 2,500 compared with the previous year. Announcing details for Haj 2027, he said online applications would be accepted from June 23 to July 20. The first instalment has been fixed at ₹1,52,300. This year, submission of a health certificate has been made mandatory, and persons suffering from serious liver ailments or lung related illnesses would not be permitted to undertake the pilgrimage.
Under revised guidelines issued by the Central Haj Committee, 20% of waitlisted applicants would be given preference. The Haj season for 2027 is scheduled between April 8 and April 9. Biyabani said the Telangana State Haj Committee would assist applicants seeking passport renewals and issue recommendation letters wherever required to facilitate the process.
The BriefWire