A group of nearly 50 pilgrims bound for the Islamic pilgrimage of Umrah faced a grueling ordeal at Nagpur airport, enduring a wait of over seven hours before finally embarking on a long road journey to Mumbai in a desperate bid to reach their destination, Jeddah.
Flight Cancellation Leaves Pilgrims in Limbo
The travellers, most of whom hailed from villages in the Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh, found themselves stranded due to a sudden aviation logjam. They were originally scheduled to fly from Nagpur to Bengaluru on an IndiGo Airlines flight, with a connecting service from Bengaluru to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. However, the cancellation of their Bengaluru flight was communicated to them only after they had reached Nagpur airport, throwing their carefully laid plans into disarray and casting uncertainty over their crucial Jeddah connection.
A Tiring Alternative Journey by Road
As the group huddled at the airport, younger members scrambled to find alternative travel arrangements. After extensive deliberations, a collective decision was made: they would undertake a long-distance bus journey to Mumbai and attempt to board a flight to Jeddah from there. Almost 90% of the group agreed to this arduous alternative, while a few elderly members chose to stay back, unable to face the lengthy road trip.
The situation was particularly poignant for an elderly couple, Mohd Qaleemullah and his wife Azrah Parveen, who had travelled from Jamai near Chhindwara. Their son expressed deep concern, stating, "I am not sure whether I should send them by bus; Mumbai is too far."
Pilgrims Seek Answers and Refunds
One of the travellers, Naem Khan, explained that they had booked a comprehensive pilgrimage package through a travel agent. "The airlines will refund the cancelled tickets, and we will take up the rest of the issues with the agent," he said, highlighting the additional layer of complication. Another pilgrim noted that Umrah, unlike the Hajj, can be performed any time of the year and is often seen as an alternative spiritual journey.
Washim Shaikh, one of the organisers involved with the group, pointed out the broader significance of the disruption. "Pilgrims from neighbouring districts heavily depend on Nagpur for their Haj and Umrah travels. Never before have we faced a crisis of this magnitude," he remarked, underscoring the reliability usually associated with the Nagpur hub for such sacred voyages.
The incident sheds light on the vulnerabilities in pilgrimage travel logistics, leaving dozens of devout travellers to navigate unexpected hurdles in their spiritual quest.
