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Indonesian haj pilgrims told to prepare for extreme heat
Indonesian haj pilgrims have been told to prepare for extreme heat while in Saudi Arabia, as temperatures there could reach 54 degrees Celsius, compared to conditions in Indonesia, where temperatures reach about 30 degrees Celsius.
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Haj pilgrims line up to enter a plane at Juanda International Airport in Surabaya on Tuesday. They are the first batch of pilgrims to depart from the airport. (The Jakarta Post/Wahyoe Boediwardhana )
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ndonesian haj pilgrims have been told to prepare for extreme heat while in Saudi Arabia, as temperatures there could reach 54 degrees Celsius, compared to conditions in Indonesia, where temperatures reach 30 degrees Celsius.
“Don’t forget to take an umbrella and wear black sunglasses to protect your eyes,” said head of the religious affairs agency in East Java, Mahfud Shodar, when seeing-off 454 haj pilgrims at Juanda International Airport in Surabaya on Tuesday.
The pilgrims from Madura Island departed on a Saudi Arabia Airlines Boeing 747. They were accompanied by five officers.
Meanwhile, the officers also distributed sunblock and spray bottles to help haj pilgrims endure the heat.
They are also advised to carry water bottles filled with Zamzam water.
“The officers have told us how to use the distributed items,” said Wardiah, a haj pilgrim from Sumenep, the capital of Madura regency.
Shodar said from the total of 27,323 had pilgrims from East Java, the Saudi Arabian Embassy had issued 14,000 visas, including 310 visas for haj officers. “It means that there will be no problems for haj pilgrims, whose departure is from Aug. 8 to 21,” Shodar added.
Indonesia kicked off the haj season on Tuesday by seeing off 4,459 out of 168,800 of the country’s haj pilgrims. Home to the largest Muslim population in the world, Indonesia is the country with the largest number of haj pilgrims. There is a 15-20 year haj waiting list in Indonesia. (bbn)
