Pilgrimage in Peril: Haj Aspirants Stranded as Nusuk Portal Delay Sparks Nationwide Chaos.
||Black and White Digital News||
||Parvinder Singh April 19,2025||
SRINAGAR/JAMMU : A wave of distress is sweeping across India’s Haj aspirants, particularly from Jammu & Kashmir, as a mysterious and prolonged delay in the opening of the Nusuk portal—the digital gateway to Saudi Arabia’s Haj and Umrah processing—has left nearly 10,000 private quota pilgrims in a state of limbo, anxiety, and escalating financial loss.
The Nusuk portal, managed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is a crucial e-platform through which foreign pilgrims arrange essential services like travel itineraries, accommodations, and visa issuance. For private tour operators (PTOs), who cater to thousands of Indian pilgrims annually with flexible schedules and tailored services, access to this portal is the heartbeat of Haj arrangements. But as the calendar inches closer to Haj 2025, the portal remains mysteriously inaccessible.
This delay follows closely on the heels of the drastic cut in Haj seats allocated to private tour operators in April, a move that already stirred dissatisfaction among PTOs and applicants. The reduced quota, compounded with the current administrative paralysis, has left thousands of hopeful pilgrims caught between faith and frustration.
“We are receiving hundreds of frantic calls daily,” said Umar Farooq, a prominent Haj group operator based in Jammu. “People are desperate—they’ve paid advances, made bookings, but we can’t do anything without the Nusuk portal. It’s a chaotic, almost helpless situation.”
The Haj Committee of India has acknowledged the challenge but has not provided a clear resolution timeline. Meanwhile, pilgrims who were shortlisted under the private scheme are seeing their dreams slip into uncertainty.
“I was overjoyed when I got selected,” said Bilal Ahmad Dar from Ustad Mohalla, Jammu. “But now I’m stuck. My money is tied up, my plans are on hold, and no one is telling us anything.”
The anguish is particularly acute in Jammu & Kashmir, where thousands prefer the private scheme for its efficiency and convenience. Community leaders warn of rising anger and anxiety. “People are becoming mentally, emotionally, and financially distressed,” said a spokesperson from the All India Haj PTOs Association. “This is a sacred journey, not a corporate transaction. The authorities must act swiftly.”
Religious organizations and PTO collectives are now urging the Ministry of Minority Affairs and the Indian Consulate in Jeddah to step in immediately, demanding diplomatic and administrative intervention to get the portal opened and the process back on track.
The Nusuk portal has historically been opened shortly after seat allocations were finalized. However, this year’s bureaucratic fog and reduced PTO quota have cast a dark cloud over one of the most spiritually significant undertakings for Muslims in India.
As April nears its end and Saudi Arabia’s final deadlines for logistical arrangements loom closer, every lost day pushes thousands of families closer to despair.
“This delay is not just administrative—it’s deeply personal,” said another operator from Gujjar Nagar, Jammu. “It’s the delay of someone’s lifelong dream. And that should never be acceptable.”
Unless immediate steps are taken, what should have been a journey of devotion and fulfilment may turn into a saga of confusion, heartache, and lost hope.
