Ever since the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia lifted its rule that required women to have a mahram, or male guardian to perform Hajj or Umrah, more than 4,300 Indian women have registered this year to embark on pilgrimage on their own.
This has been dubbed by the authorities as the country’s largest female group to perform Hajj without a male guardian. Previously, those who had no mahram companions could travel only in large groups of other women. These Indian women applied individually and will likely reach the holy cities of Mecca and Medina on their own.
Indian Ministry of Minority Affairs stated that this occurrence marks the country’s “largest ever contingent of women proceeding on Hajj alone without a male member.”
To bolster its new pilgrimage policy and ensure equity, the Indian authorities abolished the VIP quota for pilgrims which previously reserved 500 spots for top government officials.
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