Free lodging makes attendants’ Hyderabad visit enjoyable

Hyderabad: The free accommodation for the attendants of Haj pilgrims is proving to be a boon for them since they had to had to a hefty amount to stay in hotels. They got the taste when it started raining on Thursday and they were nowhere to go. The sudden downpour prompted those at the Haj camp to run helter-skelter. Thanks to the provision of accommodation by Haj Committee, the attendants were able to rush to the newly started shelter in a nearby function hall. For the first time attendants are being provided free accommodation by the Haj Committee.

“We were standing outside the camp. Suddenly it started raining heavily. The officials asked us to go to free accommodation in the backside of the camp and all the members rushed to the place,” said a attendant from Karnataka. While some others felt that if there was no free accommodation, it would have been tough for them in the City with no acquaintances. For the hundreds of attendants who have come to Haj House to send off their dear ones leaving on August 10, 11 and 12 on pilgrimage, the accommodation is likely to fulfil the purpose, they felt.  
  
It may be mentioned here with the objective of extending services attendants of the intending Hajis, particularly those who come from far-off districts, for the first time the Haj Committee Chairman, Md Masiullah Khan has ‘voluntarily’ extended services like accommodation in a nearby function hall. The services include basic amenities during their stay before their kin embark on plane to Saudi Arabia.  Each year, thousands of Haj pilgrims and their attendants arrive from various districts of Telangana and AP, and some parts of Karnataka and Maharashtra.

While the pilgrims were provided accommodation in the Haj House, their attendants, mostly their relatives, had to make arrangements outside the Haj House.  While some would stay in their relatives’ houses, most of them were forced to stay in hotels and lodges. However, this year Md Masiullah Khan decided to help them out by offering free-accommodation service in nearby Majestic Function Hall.