New Delhi, August 8: More than 1.8 million Muslims have gathered in Saudi Arabia ahead of the Hajj pilgrimage that starts today. Hajj pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam, is undertaken by Muslims during Dhul Hijjah or final month of the Islamic calendar. Hajj will last for five days, ending on August 13, 2019. It is mandatory for all adult Muslims who are physically and financially capable of undertaking the journey.

A record 200,000 Indian Muslims are expected to undertake the Haj pilgrimage this year, including 160,000 through the Haj Committee of India and the rest through Hajj Group Organisers (HGOs). The first Hajj flight from India departed for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on July 14. In 2018, the Modi government lifted a ban on women going to Haj without Mehram. Hajj 2019: Significance of Hajj Pilgrimage for Muslims.

According to Saudi authorities, close to 970,000 male and 868,000 female pilgrims had arrived in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the Hajj. In total, more than 2 million people, including Saudis and expatriate residents of the kingdom, are expected to take part this year. In a bid to ensure the safety of pilgrims, the Saudi government has spent billions of dollars.

Hajj Rituals:

Begining Hajj pilgrimage, Muslims wear Ihram, two white seamless clothes for the male and normal dress for females. On the first day, they confirm their intention to make the pilgrimage. The prohibitions of ihram start now. They spend the entire day in Mina, a neighbourhood of Mecca. The next morning after morning prayer, they leave Mina to go to Arafat.

On the second day in Arafat, Muslims offer prayers, repent on and atone for their past sins, and seek the mercy of Allah. They gather near Jabal al-Rahmah (The Mount of Mercy). The ritual of spending the afternoon in Arafat is known as 'standing before God' (wuquf). After sunset, they leave Arafat for Muzdalifah, an area between Arafat and Mina.

Upon reaching there, pilgrims perform Maghrib and Isha prayers jointly, spend the night praying and sleeping on the ground with open sky. They also gather pebbles for the next day's ritual of the stoning of the Devil (Shaitan).

On the third day, Muslims perform symbolic stoning of the devil (Ramy al-Jamarat) by throwing seven stones from sunrise to sunset at only the largest of the three pillars, known as Jamrat al-Aqabah. After the casting of stones, animals are slaughtered to celebrate Eid Al-Adha. After sacrificing an animal, pilgrims shave their heads.

On the same or the following day, the pilgrims re-visit the Sacred Mosque in Mecca for another tawaf, known as Tawaf al-Ifadah. Then, they return to Mina. On the fourth day, the pilgrims again throw seven pebbles at each of the three pillars in Mina. This is commonly known as the "Stoning of the Devil". The same ritual is performed on the fifth day. On the last day, before leaving Mecca, pilgrims perform a farewell tawaf called the Tawaf al-Wadaa.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 09, 2019 07:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).