Haj 2026: First batch of Indian pilgrims to depart on April 18

April 17, 2026 2:32 PM

Haj 2026: First batch of Indian pilgrims to depart on April 18

The Haj pilgrimage from India for 2026 will commence on April 18, with the first batch of pilgrims set to depart for Saudi Arabia from various embarkation points across the country. A total of 1,75,025 pilgrims are expected to undertake the annual pilgrimage this year. Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju extended his best wishes to the pilgrims and reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring a smooth, safe and comfortable Haj experience. He said several new initiatives hav...

Haj Suvidha app, digitised portal enable seamless online registration for Haj pilgrims

December 15, 2025 4:45 PM

Haj Suvidha app, digitised portal enable seamless online registration for Haj pilgrims

The Centre has comprehensively modernised Haj infrastructure across digital, medical and physical domains to ensure a smoother and more comfortable pilgrimage experience, Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju informed the Rajya Sabha on Monday. Rijiju said that the Haj Suvidha mobile application and a fully digitised portal now enable end-to-end online registration, payments, health data uploads, real-time tracking and feedback, significantly reducing paperwork and improving transparency for p...