Hajj pilgrims streamed out of the holy city of Mecca and into the Mina valley on Sunday, launching the great pilgrimage, which Saudi Arabia is holding in a scaled-down form for a second year.
Since Saturday, pilgrims have been performing the “tawaf” at Mecca’s Grand Mosque, circling the Kaaba, a large cubic structure draped in golden-embroidered black cloth towards which Muslims around the world pray.
Participants were chosen from more than 5,58,000 applicants through an online vetting system, with the event confined to fully vaccinated adults aged 18-65 with no chronic illnesses.
“Smart hajj card” have been introduced to allow contact-free access to camps, hotels and buses.
