Banjarmasin Embarkation Departs Oldest Hajj Pilgrim Aged 102

The Banjarmasin embarkation in South Kalimantan has departed for the Holy Land of Makkah on Monday, including the oldest prospective pilgrim, Mbah Kasrun, aged 102, who is part of Group 17. The Head of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah for South Kalimantan, and Chairman of the Hajj Organising Committee (PPIH) for the Banjarmasin embarkation, H. Eddy Khairani, stated that the oldest pilgrim hails from Wanaraya Village, Barito Kuala Regency, South Kalimantan. He confirmed that the pilgrim is in good health for the flight to the Holy Land.

According to birth records, Mbah Kasrun was born in East Java in 1924 and is a transmigration resident who moved to South Kalimantan in 1979. Khairani noted that his spirit to worship at over a century of age serves as an inspiration regarding the importance of maintaining one’s relationship with God throughout life. He added that the pilgrim serves as an example of how the determination to perform the Hajj pilgrimage never fades despite advanced age.

Eddy Khairani also instructed the pilgrim’s companions to closely monitor Mbah Kasrun’s physical condition while in the Holy Land, particularly leading up to the peak of the Hajj rituals at Arafah, Muzdalifah, and Mina. With the departure of Group 17, a total of 6,095 prospective pilgrims and officials from the Banjarmasin embarkation have now arrived in Makkah to prepare for the peak of the Hajj pilgrimage at Armuzna. For the 2026 Hajj season, the Banjarmasin embarkation is deploying 19 groups, consisting of 14 groups from South Kalimantan and five from Central Kalimantan, totalling 6,822 prospective pilgrims.