Hajj 2026 Begins: Pilgrims Head To Tent City Mina As Over 1.5 Million Arrive In Makkah
Over 1.5 million pilgrims, including 5 lakh regional, begin Hajj journey to Mina with full security, medical, and hospitality arrangements in place, reports Khursheed Wani
Published : May 25, 2026 at 5:18 PM IST
Makkah: Tens of thousands of pilgrims on Monday started their journey to the tent city of Mina to begin the annual Hajj 2026 pilgrimage. More than 1.5 million pilgrims have poured in from across the globe to participate in the annual pilgrimage.
A large number of these pilgrims began walking towards the tent city on Sunday evening, as the mandatory stay and offering of specific prayers would be counted from Monday afternoon.
On Yawm al-Tarwiyah, the official start of the Hajj pilgrimage, global pilgrims will be joined by around five lakh domestic pilgrims from Saudi Arabia and neighbouring Gulf countries. This correspondent witnessed emotionally surcharged people inside the Masjid al-Haram (Holy Mosque in Makkah) on Sunday as they offered post-dusk prayers of Maghrib and Isha before starting their journey to the Valley of Mina.
Authorities in Makkah said that all field and operational preparations for transporting pilgrims to the tent city had been completed. “A fool-proof security system has been established to ensure hassle-free transportation of the pilgrims to their destination,” they added.
The pilgrims will march towards Arafat and Muzdalifah in the subsequent days to complete the mandatory rituals of the holy pilgrimage. Authorities said that the air defence system is activated for the security of the holy city.
As a team of international journalists, including this correspondent, was given special access to the iconic Makkah Tower overlooking the Kaaba, we witnessed two helicopters hovering over the holy city for aerial surveillance.
The pilgrims are reciting the 'Talbiyah': ‘Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik...' (Here I am, O Allah, here I am), an Arabic chant declaring the Oneness of God and submission to His will as they start their journey towards the tent city.
Following the traditions of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the pilgrims ensure the rituals of the pilgrimage are performed strictly in accordance with the directions set by the Prophet in his lifetime.
Security personnel and volunteers, clad in distinctive uniforms and equipped with gadgets, are monitoring the passage of pilgrims. A sizeable number of young women have also been employed for this purpose, especially to guide and assist female pilgrims. All pilgrims are carrying Nusk cards with a bar code that saves their coordinates.
Officials from the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said that the operational readiness of accommodation, catering, and transportation services within Mina has been established on the ground, integrated with the operations of the Crowd Management and Joint Operations Center, the Monitoring and Control Center, and the Compliance Center.
From India, a total of 122,464 pilgrims have arrived in Makkah through the Hajj Committee of India (HCI), while 52,507 have embarked on the pilgrimage through private tour operators, said an official at the Indian Hajj House in Makkah.
Consul General India to Jeddah Fahad Ahmed Khan Suri said that HCI has been running 34 hospitality centres for the service providers (Muallims or Mutawwifs).
"Twelve branch Hajj offices, 15 building branch units, 13 medical clinics, one mini clinic, and 21 medical units in buildings of Indian pilgrims have been opened for the welfare of Indian pilgrims in Makkah,” he said.
Apart from the main Indian Hajj office, two branch Hajj offices and three medical clinics have been opened in Madinah. “One Hajj office and one mini clinic have been opened at Jeddah Airport to take care of arrivals and departures of Indian Hajis. Mobile medical units have been ensured at both the metro stations (Makkah and Madinah),” Suri said.
He also expressed satisfaction over the arrangement and thanked Saudi authorities for making Hajj pilgrims from India feel comfortable.
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