10:10, 8 November 2008

Quota on Hajj pilgrims halved for Dagestan

This year, 8,000 pilgrims from Dagestan will make their way to Mecca, although the application had been for 15,000 persons. First of all, the priority is given to those who have never made the Hajj.

Currently, 45 groups of Dagestan pilgrims have been formed; the first of them will leave for Saudi Arabia on November 15. Six thousand persons will use surface transport, and two thousand will make their flights from Baku, where they will get by rail from Makhachkala.

By experts' estimates, this year's pilgrimage will cost Dagestan Moslem 3-4 thousand US dollars on the average.

According to Andrei Sebentsov, Executive Secretary of the Governmental Commission of the Russian Federation for Religious Associations, all in all, 23,500 Russian citizens will make their Hajj this year.

This year, the main Hajj events will take place on December 2-10. Annually, Hajj is performed by up to 5 million believers from all over the world.

Author: Timur Isayev, CK correspondent