Haj pilgrims to leave for Mecca on Jan. 9

Haj pilgrims to leave for Mecca on Jan. 9

SEMARANG, Central Java: The first group of haj pilgrims from Central Java province are expected to leave for Mecca, Saudi Arabia on Jan. 9, 2003.

Head of Central Java's office for haj affairs Sudja'i said Monday that the haj pilgrims would depart from the Adisumarmo international airport in Surakarta, 76 kilometers south of Semarang.

The departure of haj pilgrims from across the province would take 27 days, from Jan. 9 through Feb. 4 while their return would be from Feb. 16 through March 16.

Sudja'i said Monday that the province would send 18,284 haj pilgrims this year, far below the number allocated by the government of 25,000 people, and they would be split into 57 groups. --Antara