Thelargest contingent so far of over 4,000 Women is preparing to travel for Haj without mehram(male companion) with the first flight expected to leave on May 21. Over 2,800 of these women are from Kerala. The women in the state have taken the lead each year since 2018 when policy changes for the first time enabled Muslim women above 45 years of age to travel in groups of four or more without mehram forHaj.
Building on the earlier policy (2018-22), the Haj policy 2023 also created the option for single women in the same age group to also apply as individuals and in keeping with the guidelines enabled theHaj Committeeof India to organise them in groups of four or more.
There are 4,313 women, the largest contingent so far, who will be undertaking Haj in the without mehram category. They hail from across 25 states and Union Territories. Kerala (2,807) tops the list followed by UP (222), Nadu(195),Maharashtra(162), Karnataka (140), Jammu & Kashmir (132), Madhya Pradesh (128), West Bengal (82), Telangana (76) and Gujarat (70). There are three women from Goa and four fromHaryana.