MAKKAH, June 26 (APP): Holding umbrellas in their hands and carrying their folded prayer clothes above their heads, many pilgrims are using such methods to shield themselves from the scorching heat, as temperatures hit 45°C on Monday noon.
Tuesday is the Day of Arafah which takes place on the second day of Hajj when pilgrims make their way to the mountain where the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) gave his last sermon. The temperature is expected to touch the 44°C mark on this day.
The intending pilgrims from Indonesia said hardship has heightened their experience. Mobile phones are overheating and the pavement in Makkah feels like a frying pan but, for Indonesian pilgrims, intense desert heat is all part of Hajj pilgrimage.
Most of the pilgrims were seen with reddened faces by the sun while outside the Grand Mosque and some other places, water was sprayed to keep the crowds of worshipers cool.
A few metres away, pilgrims in Ihram sought refuge on cool marble floors in shaded entrances of hotels and shopping centres while awaiting the next prayer.
More than 32,000 health workers are on hand to treat anyone struck by heatstroke or other ailments, authorities say, while bottles of water are distributed free of charge.
On the eighth day of Dhu Al Hijjah, known as the Day of Tarwiyah, pilgrims travel to Mina. They travel by bus, car and on foot from Makkah to Mina, east of the city, before moving to Mount Arafat.
The main focus of the Day of Tarwiyah, the first official day of Hajj, is on prayer, as men and women gather in thousands of large fire-resistant tents and spend the day and night in contemplation as they prepare for the tough days ahead.
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Mina, situated between mountains to its north and south, is 16.8 square kilometres in area and located between Makkah and Muzdalifah. The place is inhabited only during the Hajj.
The pilgrims perform the Dhuhr, Asr and Isha prayers at their designated times, but in shortened form. The Maghrib prayer, which cannot be shortened, is performed as usual.
The pilgrims will head to Mount Arafat on Tuesday after performing the Fajr prayer, which marks the peak of the annual pilgrimage.
Mount Arafat is a granite hill about 20 kilometres from the Kaaba. Ascending it is the most important rite in the annual pilgrimage of Hajj for millions of Muslims.
APP/sab