Photo: Arab News-
Metropolis Desk-
After arriving in Saudi Arabia from the southern state of Kerala, an Indian Hajj flight operated solely by women and carrying only female pilgrims created history, according to authorities.
On Thursday night, a Kozhikode-bound Air India Express flight carrying 145 pilgrims touched down in Jeddah.
Capt. Kanika Mehra, First Officer Garima Passi, and the four members of the cabin crew were in charge of operating it. John Barla, the state minister for minority affairs, traveled with the women and gave them their boarding permits at the airport.
Chairman of the Kerala Haj Committee C. Mohammed Faizi told Arab News, “I am really proud.”
A group of 4,000 Indian women pilgrims will travel alone this year to the holy towns of Makkah and Madinah, including the passengers of the special flight.
Following Saudi Arabia’s decision to remove a regulation requiring female pilgrims to be accompanied by a mahram, or male guardian, last year, India modified its Hajj policy.
Kerala is the home of the majority of Indian pilgrims who applied for Hajj under the Ladies Without Mahram category.
“There are roughly 2,000 people without a mahram. Kerala has the most people without a mahram. Faizi attributed the high figure to Kerala’s excellent educational standards and the fact that many of the state’s women were accustomed to visiting the Middle East to see their relatives who were employed there.
In comparison to other Indian states, Kerala this year boasts a larger total proportion of female Hajj pilgrims.
“Sixty percent are women,” Faizi stated.
Of the 35 million people who live in Kerala are around one-fourth Muslim.
Under India’s quota of 175,000, about 11,000 of them will make the Hajj pilgrimage this year, with roughly 60% of them being women.
Source – Arab News
