Smriti Irani-led delegation visits Madinah, interacts with Umrah volunteers from India

Smriti Irani-led delegation visits Madinah, interacts with Umrah volunteers from India

Marking a ‘historic’ visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a delegation led by Union Minister for Women and Child Development and Minority Affairs Smriti Zubin Irani and Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs, Shri V. Muraleedharan Monday visited the city of Madinah.

Two days earlier, India and Saudi Arabia signed a bilateral agreement under which New Delhi has been allocated a quota of 1,75,025 pilgrims for this year’s annual Haj pilgrimage. The Bilateral Haj Agreement 2024 was signed with Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, the Saudi Minister for Hajj and Umrah, at Jeddah.

According to a press release, the delegation visited the perimeter of the Prophet’s Mosque (Al Masjid Al Nabwi) in the Markazia area of Madinah. This was followed by a visit to the mountain of Uhud and a visit to the Quba Mosque. Quba Mosque is the first Mosque of Islam while Uhud Mountain is the final resting place of a number early Islamic martyrs.

Taking to X, Irani applauded the step as underscoring the depth of cultural and spiritual engagement between the two nations.

She wrote, “Undertook a historic journey to Madinah today, one of Islam’s holiest cities included a visit to the periphery of the revered Prophet’s Mosque, Al Masjid Al Nabwi, the mountain of Uhud, and periphery of the Quba Mosque – the first Mosque of Islam. The significance of the visit to these sites courtesy Saudi officials, intertwined with early Islamic history, underscores the depth of our cultural and spiritual engagement.”

The release stated, “The delegation interacted with Indian volunteers who provide dedicated and selfless service to Indian Haj pilgrims, including during Haj 2023.” They also interacted with the Umrah pilgrims from India.

The visit shall help provide a first hand insight into the arrangements required to be made for ensuring a comfortable Haj 2024 for the Indian pilgrims, the release stated.

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