Thousands of applicants for this year’s Haj suffered a blow when the Haj Committee of India on Saturday issued a circular restricting the pilgrimage to those below 65 years of age. Many of the 90,000 applicants from India will lose their chance because of the restriction imposed in the wake of a decision by the Saudi Arabian government.
Restricting the Haj for those below 65 years of age will have a wider impact as a lot of women who applied with elderly people as their mehram (male companion) will now lose their opportunity. Such women will have to make fresh applications with new mehrams below 65 years of age.
