A total of 3,570 people forming the last batch of would-be Hajj pilgrims from Indonesia departed from four airports across the country for King Abdul Aziz airport in Jidda, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday (Nov 21).
One group of 358 would-be pilgrims left from Adi Sumarmo airport in Solo, Central Java, six groups totaling 2,161 would-be prilgrims from Jakarta, Banten and West Java departed from Jakarta`s Soekarno-Hatta airport, one group of 360 would-be pilgrims departed from Hasanuddin airport in Makassar, South Sulawesi, and another group of 691 would-be pilgrims left from Juanda airport in Surabaya, East Java province.
The total number of Indonesians who have gone on the Hajj pilgrimage this year is 192,000. They were flown from 11 embarkation airports in the country in 475 groups since October 23, according to data obtained from the Hajj pilgrimage affairs office on Saturday (Nov 21).
The first part of two major groups of flights, comprising 251 batches (about 101,500 would-be pilgrims), who landed in
Jidda`s King Abdul Azis Airport and at the Malik Muhammad Abdul Aziz airport in Madinah, had gathered in Medina to perform the "Arbain" (40 times of doing prayers in the Nabawi mosque) while waiting for the hajj ritual in Mecca, Arafat, Muzdalifah and Mina.
The second part of the major groups with 223 batches of flights comprising 90,500 would-be pilgrims who departed since November 7 to Jeddah King Abdul Azis Airport, directly proceeded to Mecca by land, waiting for the peak of the hajj ritual.
The country`s would be hajj pilgrims were reportedly flown by Garuda Indonesian aircrafts and the Saudi Air.
The prospective hajj pilgrims incorporated in the second part of the major groups will perform the "Arbain" in Medina after completion of the peak of the Hajj ritual "Wukuf" in the Arafat as one of the pillars of the pilgrimage.
In addition to the regular programs of the hajj pilgrimage departure through the so-called "Hajj Pilgrimage Implementation Costs (BPIH or formerly named ONH), some other 17,000 would-be hajj pilgrims also departed to the Holy Land under the coordination of the private travel agencies.
Meanwhile, at least 80 sick people will be assisted and carried by ambulances in performing the peak of the hajj ritual or the Wukuf.
About three million prospective hajj pilgrims including more than 200 thousands from Indonesia will be in the Arafat on 8 Zulhijjah or Wednesday (Nov 25) for the Wukuf ritual, prior to the Idul Adha festivity 1430-H.
During this year`s hajj season, the Indonesian would-be pilgrims again should be patient especially in facing two crucial problems namely transportation and housing in Mecca.
Head of the country`s hajj organizing committee in Mecca, Subakin AM said, the Muassasah (pilgrimage service manager) had deployed 325 buses to transport all the Indonesian hajj pilgrims from their houses to all points of the hajj ritual including to the Arafat.
In response to housing and transportation problem, Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali said in Jeddah recently that his office will make an evaluation and improvement on the discomfort of accomodation (houses) and transportation for the
hajj pilgrims.
It was reported that the Indonesia`s hajj organizing committee or PPIH in 1430-H hajj season had rented 407 houses in 11 sectors in Mecca for a total of 196,100 would-be hajj pilgrims (the regular PPIH program).
As many as 115 houses for some 52,500 people (26,4 percent) located in the so-called "Ring 1" (about two kilometers "Haram" grand mosque).
In addition, 292 houses for l43,600 people (73,6 percent) located in the "Ring 2" (seven kilometers from the grand mosque).
Regarding the shuttle buses problem, the hajj pilgrims always expressed complaint about the Muassasah because the bus drivers did not keep the schedule.
Actually, in normal circumstances, the vehicles only take about half an hour from the grand mosque to the houses in the Ring-2 location (seven kilometers from the grand mosque), but when three million Muslims from all over the world gathered in the holy city of Mecca, the travel time becomes difficult to predict.
In the meantime, the monitoring team led by Commission VIII chairman of the House of Representatives (DPR), Gondo Radityo Gambiro (From Democratic Party) expressed dissatisfaction about the service given by the PPHI to the would be hajj pilgrims and threatened to form an investigative team, especially on the provision of lodging and transportation services in Mecca.
Regarding the problem, Minister Suryadharma Ali expressed his commitment that next year his office is striving to provide lodging for the country`s would-be hajj pilgrims at the most distant four kilometers from the Haram grand mosque. (*)
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