Srinagar, Nov 20 (KNO): The number of Hajj pilgrims seems to be further dwindling as over 700 pilgrims who applied for the pilgrimage have opted out of Hajj 2025, reducing the number to only 3,602.
According to details obtained by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), out of 4,313 applications received for the Hajj 2025, 711 pilgrims were unable to pay fees.
According to the JK Hajj Executive Officer, 711 application forms will be cancelled within a week and the second installment will be announced in the coming weeks. He said the airfare and hotel accommodations tender was about to be finalised, followed by the payment.
Notably, a low response was again witnessed for Hajj applications this year in Jammu and Kashmir, leaving authorities with no option other than repeatedly extending dates for receiving the applications for Hajj 2025.
With over 35,000 Hajj applications submitted in 2017 from Jammu & Kashmir, the numbers are rapidly declining, with the current year receiving just over 4,300 applications, of which over 700 applicants could not proceed due to the non-payment of the fees.
Despite multiple extensions for submitting Hajj 2025 forms, Jammu and Kashmir's Hajj Committee has just remained with 3,602 applications, a decrease of more than 55% from the previous year.
According to the official data, the year 2024 received 8,147 Hajj application forms against the allocated quota of 8,200, while in the ongoing year with a tentative quota of around 8,000, a mere 3,602 have opted for the pilgrimage.
In 2017, 35,215 people planned to embark on the pilgrimage, followed by 32,330 applications from various districts in Jammu and Kashmir in 2018.
Hajj authorities received 21,566 applications for the pilgrimages in 2019, with 2020 witnessing no applications owing to the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.
Despite the pandemic, the data reveals that more than 7,000 applications from various J&K districts were submitted in 2021 for the Hajj pilgrimage. However, the authorities subsequently cancelled the pilgrimage for a second year in a row due to the virus's continued spread.
Ideally, the demand for Hajj used to exceed the quota, after which a draw system was introduced for Hajj slot allocation for intending pilgrims.
The comparative data for 2024 and 2025 reveals a sharp decline in all districts of Jammu and Kashmir in the number of pilgrims applying to take up the Hajj 2025 journey, with only district Doda witnessing a nominal increase of over 9 per cent.
According to the data, Srinagar district, which received 2,607 Hajj applications in 2024, has registered a decline of over 64 per cent for this year. It has received just over 930 applications for the Hajj 2025.
Similarly, district Budgam, which received 873 applications in 2024, this year received over 320 applications, recording a decline of over 62 per cent.
District Anantnag and Bandipora too have recorded a decline of over 50 per cent in the number of people applying to undertake the Hajj, the holy pilgrimage. District Baramulla received over 345 applications against the 781 applications in 2024.
Any intending Hajj pilgrim embarking from Srinagar has to pay around 4.2 lakh rupees, while from Delhi, it is Rs 3.6 lakh only. The authorities are attributing the difference in amount to airfares.
Officials said the airfare from Srinagar embarkation is Rs 1.7 lakh, while from Delhi; it is Rs 1.1 lakh for pilgrims. However, they add that people are not bound to travel from any specific destination and are free to take up the Hajj journey from any embarkation of their choice.
Meanwhile, as per experts, economic realities are forcing many to deprioritise the pilgrimage in favour of essential expenses like healthcare, education and other family needs.
They attribute the decline in the Hajj applications to rising prices and economic strain in Jammu and Kashmir, saying the people in the region were struggling to make ends meet—(KNO)