Patna: For the first time, not a single child from Bihar will travel for Haj pilgrimage in 2026. The Saudi Arabian government has imposed a ban on the entry of children below 12 years of age for Haj, leading to zero applications from this age group.
According to the Bihar Haj Committee, a total of 2,755 people from the state will leave for Haj next year. Among them, 1,165 are women and 1,590 are men.
Maximum Pilgrims from Patna, None from Lakhisarai
The highest number of pilgrims will be from Patna district, with 353 people, including 157 women. On the other hand, not a single pilgrim will be travelling from Lakhisarai, repeating the trend from 2025.
From Arwal, seven people (four women and three men) are scheduled to go, while Jehanabad has 23 pilgrims (12 women and 11 men). Siwan will send 63 pilgrims, Buxar 12, and Shivhar just two. Meanwhile, the Seemanchal region (Katihar, Araria, Kishanganj, and Purnia) will contribute 732 pilgrims in total.
52% Pilgrims to Travel via Delhi
Travel cost differences have influenced the choice of embarkation points. Out of the 2,755 pilgrims, 1,438 (52 percent) will fly from Delhi airport, as the cost is ₹75,000 less compared to Gaya.
From other embarkation points, 682 pilgrims will go via Kolkata, 359 from Mumbai, and 148 from Gaya. The cost of travelling from Kolkata is cheaper by ₹43,700 than Gaya, while Mumbai offers an even bigger difference of ₹82,250.
The numbers from other airports include: Nagpur (1), Ahmedabad (12), Bengaluru (14), Hyderabad (22), and Lucknow (79).
List of Pilgrims by Embarkation Point (Bihar Haj 2026):
- Delhi: 1,438
- Kolkata: 682
- Mumbai: 359
- Gaya: 148
- Lucknow: 79
- Hyderabad: 22
- Bengaluru: 14
- Ahmedabad: 12
- Nagpur: 1
The Haj Committee confirmed that all necessary arrangements are being made for the pilgrims, with most preferring Delhi as the departure point due to lower expenses.
