KHUJAND, October 2, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- The number of Sughd residents wanting to perform Hajj, holy pilgrimage to Mecca, this year has exceeded the pilgrimage quota allotted to the province more than two times.

Representative of the Main Department for Religious Affairs within the Ministry of Culture for Sughd, Yunus Sharipov, told Asia-Plus today that 3,700 local residents have lodged Hajj applications this year while the province has the quota of 1,408 pilgrimages.

“This year, first all, those who applied for performing Hajj last year and were not put on the list of pilgrimages will take part in the pilgrimage,” Sharipov said, noting that last year Sughd was allotted the quota of 1,328 pilgrimages.   

We will recall that the Ministry of Culture has introduced a new system to regulate the number of potential pilgrims to the Muslim holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia this year.  The changes were prompted by the growing number of applications from those intending to carry out the Hajj, or holy pilgrimage.  From now on, every district in Tajikistan would have a special registration book, signed by the local governor and sealed to avoid potential fraud.  All the locals intending to perform Hajj register and are added to the applicants'' list.  They must then wait their turn to receive permission to take part in the pilgrimage.

This year, the Hajj will take place in November and the quota for Tajikistan is the same as it was last year – 5,000 people.