MINA (Saudi Arabia), Jan 8: Around 2.5 million pilgrims from 160 different countries across the globe reached the valley of Mina by Sunday afternoon, as Haj 1426 Hijrah began. Men clad in two seamless pieces of white cloth and women in modest dresses, covering their heads, were reciting ‘Labbaik Allah Humma Labbaik’, with tears flowing across the cheeks of many.

Waquful Arafat, the major pillar of Haj will be on Monday when pilgrims go to Arafat after the Fajr prayers. Anyone, who enters the plains of Arafat before the sunset on the Haj day, is regarded to have performed Haj.

Over 150,000 Pakistanis, the second largest contingent after Indonesia, are performing Haj this year.

Mina, with 50,000 fire-proof tents, was presenting a spectacle to watch on Sunday evening. This otherwise sleeping valley sprang to life when pilgrims started reaching here on Saturday. By the Sunday Asr prayers, the city was presenting a completely different look, with men and women speaking different languages and dialects, but wearing identical clothes and chanting the same Arabic verses.

According to Saudi officials, around 2.5 million pilgrims are performing Haj this year. With many unauthorized domestic pilgrims, including expatriates living in the Kingdom, the number would go still up.

Police faced tough times in regulating the vehicular traffic and pilgrims walking towards the pedestrian tunnel to Mina. All roads to Mina were packed with buses and other vehicles on Sunday.

Elaborate security arrangements, with about 60,000 security forces present in the area, have been made.

Some 65 ambulances reportedly moved into Mina along with the pilgrims to take care of old, weak and ill pilgrims and to tackle emergencies that might happen.

The Saudi authorities have licensed 717 shops and 130 cold storage trucks to distribute food and beverages at the holy sites.

The Islamic Development bank has made arrangements for sacrificial animals. Around 500,000 animals, mainly sheeps, are expected to be sacrificed this year. The IDB has also made arrangements to airlift the sacrificial meat to various countries around the world to be distributed among poor Muslims.

A large number of dignitaries from the Muslim world, including the Jordanian King Abdullah II, Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, Bangladesh Opposition Leader Sheikh Hasina Wajed, Gambian President Dr Alhaji Yahya Abdulaziz Jamy and Lebanese Prime Minister Fu’ad Siniora are also in Mina to perform Haj this year.