Srinagar: At least 10,000 pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have registered for the Hajj in the ensuing year scheduled to begin from May while the registration process for the last date is February 15.
After the nod from Saudi Arabia regarding the Hajj 2022 in the ensuing year with a decline in infection cases across the world, the process for registration started in both Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir in November last year.
Hajj Officer of Jammu and Kashmir Abdul Salam Mir said around 10,000 individuals had registered so far while the final date for it was scheduled on February 15.
He said that so far no pooling of the number of the pilgrims who will leave for Hajj has been shortlisted and it would be done after 15th February.
The Hajj officer informed that separate guidelines for Hajj this year would be issued once the Saudi government releases them given the Omicron variant infection threat.
“Around 10,000 pilgrims have registered themselves for Hajj this year of which nearly 250 belong to Ladakh,” he said.
The Hajj officer said that all the pilgrims mandatorily must be vaccinated and before leaving for Hajj here they would undergo COVID-19 testing.
“Two vaccines of India including Covisheild and Covaxin as approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO) are the acceptable vaccines for Hajj this year,” the Hajj officer said. “We don’t accept the registration forms of pilgrims who are not vaccinated. It’s mandatory and a priority in the ongoing situation.”
He said that during Hajj the Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) issued by the Saudi Arabia government would be exercised and as of now the native SOPs were in place including the online registration process given the Omicron variant. KNO