Hajj 2021 application process to start from November 7

Coinciding with Eid al Adha, Haj is the annual ritual performed in the month of Dhul Hijjah to commemorate the sacrifices made by Prophet Ibrahim, his wife Hagar and their son Prophet Ismail.

New Delhi: The Haj Committee of India (HCI) on Thursday issued a circular informing that processing of online Hajj applications 2021 will start from November 7 and continue till 10 December.

"Haj 1442 (H) - 2021 will take place under special circumstances with special norms, rules and revelations, eligibility criteria, age restrictions, health and fitness requirements and other relevant conditions as Kingdom of Saudi Arabia may impose as and when they feel appropriate amid coronavirus pandemic," the circular undersigned by Dr Maqsood Ahmed Khan, CEO in the Haj Committee of India stated.

The circular further stated that the dates mentioned in the Action Plan need to be adhered to by the State Haj Committees and all other agencies involved in Haj management as any delay in the calendar of the activities hampers the overall Haj management.

According to the action plan prepared for Haj 2021, the delegation from the Ministry of Minority Affairs, Haj Committee of India and Consulate General of India, Jeddah will visit Saudi Arabia for bilateral agreement.

As of now, India has established air bubble agreement with 21 countries. Under these agreements, two countries agree to operate direct passenger flights both ways in order to operate normal flights between them once things get back to normal after the pandemic.

Haj is one of the five pillars of Islam and is obligatory on Muslims who can afford it. Coinciding with Eid al Adha, Haj is the annual ritual performed in the month of Dhul Hijjah to commemorate the sacrifices made by Prophet Ibrahim, his wife Hagar and their son Prophet Ismail.

As per the HCI's action plan, the announcement for Haj - 2021 will be made by the Ministry of Minority Affairs on 7 November 2020.

Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi had earlier said that the entire Haj process might witness a significant change in view of the guidelines, including those related to the accommodation, transport, health and other facilities both in India and Saudi Arabia.