20-plus Nagpur Umrah pilgrims stranded in Saudi Arabia; 300 have returned in 15 days

The impact of rising tension in the Middle East and disruption to air flights is now clearly visible among Umrah pilgrims from Nagpur. More than 20 pilgrims from the city who went to Saudi Arabia for the religious journey are still stranded there. Efforts to bring them home safely are continuing.

In a relief, more than 300 pilgrims have returned to Nagpur in the past 15 days. Meanwhile, about 500 pilgrims are preparing to travel to Saudi Arabia for Umrah and are waiting for their journey to begin.

The stranded pilgrims face added difficulty because, instead of flying directly from Saudi Arabia to India, they have to return by other routes. The road journey from Medina to Muscat, the capital of Oman, could take about 30 to 35 hours. Many of the pilgrims are women and elderly people, so their families are worried about their safe return.

The tension in the Middle East has affected air traffic, and return plans have had to change. Services of some airlines have been affected because of the security situation and disruption to flights. The pilgrims who went from Nagpur have been affected as well.

According to private tour operators, more than 20 pilgrims are still stranded in Saudi Arabia. Arrangements are being made to take them first by road to Muscat in Oman. They will then be flown to Mumbai or Hyderabad, and arrangements will be made to bring them from there to Nagpur.

Even so, the long road journey, the uncertainty of travel and the availability of flights remain major challenges for the pilgrims. Family members are waiting every moment for news of their safe return.

The trouble is not limited to the journey. Air tickets to return to India have become very expensive. According to the pilgrims and their families, tickets on alternative flights are costly, and one-way fares on some flights are reported to be as high as Rs 50,000. Under normal conditions, the fare from Nagpur or Mumbai to Saudi Arabia is around Rs 38,000, so this is an extra financial burden on the pilgrims. With fares and flights changing, planning the return has also become difficult.

The return of more than 300 pilgrims has brought relief to their families, but the worry has not ended for many families because their relatives are still in Saudi Arabia. According to the returned pilgrims, getting home via Mecca, Medina and Muscat was not easy. They faced considerable hardship between the long road journey and arranging the onward flight. They felt relief only after reaching Nagpur via Mumbai.

Umrah pilgrim Imran Sheikh said the journey home via Mecca, Medina and Muscat was very difficult. According to him, his family was constantly anxious during this time. Members of Salim Ansari's family are still stranded in Saudi Arabia. He said clear information about tickets and the return journey is not being received, so the family's worry continues. His greatest wish is that the family members return home safely.

According to private tour operator Nadeem Qureshi, more than 300 pilgrims have returned to Nagpur in the past 15 days and more than 20 are still in Saudi Arabia. Arrangements are being made to bring them to Muscat by road, and the plan is then to take them to India on flights to Mumbai or Hyderabad and from there to Nagpur. He said that in the present situation it has become necessary to arrange alternative routes and flights, and that getting all pilgrims home safely is the first priority.

For now, Nagpur's Umrah pilgrims and their families are focused on a safe return. Families of the stranded pilgrims are hoping for good news soon.