Mohsin Raza Welcomes Hajj Pilgrims Back to Lucknow

The first flight from Saudi Arabia carrying 298 Hajj pilgrims returned to Lucknow today at 4:36 pm. The pilgrims were warmly welcomed by the Uttar Pradesh Hajj committee’s chairman, Mohsin Raza, at the airport.

This year, around twenty thousand Hajj pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh participated in the annual Islamic pilgrimage in Mecca. Upon their return, the pilgrims praised the government and Hajj authorities for the excellent facilities provided to them in Mecca and Medina.

Mohsin Raza stated that the service provided to the pilgrims this year was magnificent, and all returning pilgrims are praising the Yogi-led state government and the Modi-led central government.

The Hajj is one of the world’s largest religious gatherings and a major annual event in Saudi Arabia. It is considered one of the five pillars of Islam. The pilgrimage includes various elaborate rites, such as wearing unique clothing that represents human equality and unity before God, a counter-clockwise march around the Kaaba, and the symbolic stoning of wickedness.

People who have completed the pilgrimage might add the words al-Haj or hajji (pilgrim) to their names. Over the last decade, Saudi Arabia has invested billions of dollars to improve transportation, technology, and accommodations for Hajj pilgrims, which are a major source of revenue for the world’s largest oil producer.