DUSHANBE, October 11, 2011, Asia-Plus — The first 185 Tajik Hajj pilgrims flew to Saudi Arabia today morning. The flight has been operated by Tajik air company, Somon Air.
Abdughaffor Yusupov, head of the Hajj department within the Committee on Religious Affairs under the Government of Tajikistan, says the pilgrims received their passports and other documents during registration and customs control at the Islamic Center in Dushanbe.
This year, Tajik national air carrier, Tajik Air, and Tajik private air company, Somon Air, are carrying Tajik Hajj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.
Tajik Air will operate 12 flights to Jeddah from Dushanbe and Somon Air will operate 19 flights, including eight flights from the Khujand airport.
The last flight with Hajj pilgrims on board will be conducted on October 29.
This year, the authorities this year have introduced special clothing marked with the national flag for Tajik Hajj pilgrims.
A new Hajj uniform has reportedly been designed by Tajikistan”s Committee on Religious Affairs. Men don two-piece suits, while women wear long-sleeved dresses complete with headscarves. The Tajik Hajj uniform is embroidered with the nation”s flag. The garments come with matching suitcases. Taking Saudi Arabia”s hot weather into account, the uniforms are made from a lightweight fabric.
According to Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service, the committee says having a special uniform will make it easier for trip organizers and the pilgrims not to lose each other among huge crowds during the Hajj.
In 2010, the price to go on the hajj was $3,191, but it has risen this year to $3,448. The State Committee on Religious Affairs says the increase is the result of a weaker dollar and higher fuel prices.
The Hajj is the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is currently the largest annual pilgrimage in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so. The Hajj is a demonstration of the solidarity of the Muslim people, and their submission to God. The pilgrimage occurs from the 8th to 12th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th and last month of the Islamic calendar. Because the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, eleven days shorter than the Gregorian calendar, the Gregorian date of the Hajj changes from year to year.
