Mangaluru, Sep 29: The first batch of Hajis that had undertaken pilgrimage from this coastal city returned home on Monday evening after successfully completing all the rituals despite witnessing two tragedies at the holy sites.
Carrying 134 pilgrims from different parts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chikkamagaluru and Hassan districts a FlyNas Airlines flight landed at Mangaluru International Airport at 6:30 p.m.
Despite delay of a few hours, majority of the Hajis had no complaints about the airlines. Their flight was supposed to reach at 2:30 p.m.
The relatives and friends of the pilgrims who had arrived on time to receive the Hajis had to wait outside the airport terminal for four hours due to flight delay.
Dakshina Kannada district Wakf advisory committee president SM Rasheed Haji, Mangaluru Hajj management committee chief Yenepoya Mohammed Kunhi were present among others to welcome the pilgrims.
This year as many as 670 people had undertaken pilgrimage from Mangaluru airport in separate batches.
Almost all of the pilgrims had a positive opinion about the arrangements and facilities made by the Saudi authorities for Hajj pilgrims amidst ongoing expansion plans at holy sites.
Recalling the stampede at Mina that claimed the lives of hundreds of pilgrims, Ahmed, one of the 134 pilgrims told Coastaldigest.com that violation of the prescribed rules by some of the pilgrims led to the tragedy.
Abdurrazzak, another pilgrim, said that one of the members of a family which was staying next to his room during Hajj was killed in the stampede, while another one went missing.
Mohammed Basheerduddin, a returned government official, said that he cannot forget the construction crane mishap occurred at the Masjidul Haram in Makkah.
“We were just getting ready for tawaf. All of a sudden we witnessed heavy lighting and thunder. But, we never thought that such a huge crane would crash,” he said adding that the tragedy took place at a distance of 40 feet from him.
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