Srinagar, Jul 30: The Jammu and Kashmir Haj Committee (JKHC) has issued the list of provisional selection covers for Haj 1448 (H) – 2027, with figures revealing that a total of 4,692 applicants have been selected from the Union Territory.
The total figure for Haj 2027 is 474 aspirants less than Haj 2026, as a total of 5,166 aspirants were selected in the list of provisional selection covers in the previous year. However, nearly 4,600 pilgrims will perform Haj 2026.
According to Executive Officer of the J&K Haj Committee (JKHC), Dr Shujaat Ahmad Qureshi, a total of 4,692 aspirants made it to the list of provisional selection covers for Haj 1448 (H) – 2027 against the total quota of 8,000 for J&K.
The deadline for online registration of applications was 20 June and was later extended by four days to 24 June 2026.
Dr Qureshi said that all those who applied for Haj 2027 have been cleared. He also stated that a total of 14 private Haj companies from Jammu and Kashmir were allotted a combined quota of 665 seats. He added that the private Haj companies from Jammu and Kashmir have applied for the quota, and the quota will be finalised within the next 15 days.
The decline in the number of Haj applications in Jammu and Kashmir has been attributed to the rising cost of the pilgrimage.
“We have been witnessing a significant decline in the number of Haj applicants after 2023. The biggest reason is the rising cost of the pilgrimage,” Dr Qureshi said, adding that pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir paid around Rs 4.18 lakh for Haj 2026, making it difficult for many families to undertake the pilgrimage.
“The increase in Haj charges is due to several factors, including general inflation of nearly 7 per cent, the withdrawal of the Haj subsidy after 2018, and the appreciation of the Saudi Riyal against the Indian Rupee over the years,” he explained.
Dr Qureshi noted that the trend was not confined to Jammu and Kashmir alone, with several northern states also receiving applications below their allotted Haj quota, unlike many southern states where demand continues to remain strong.
HCoI asks selected pilgrims to deposit Rs 1.52 lakh by Aug 10
The Haj Committee of India (HCoI) has directed all provisionally selected pilgrims for Haj-2027 (1448 Hijri) to deposit an advance amount of Rs 1,52,300 on or before August 10, 2026, failing which their Haj selection will be liable to cancellation.
According to a circular issued by the Haj Committee of India under the Ministry of Minority Affairs following the Digital Random Selection (Qurrah) held on July 30, the amount comprises Rs 1,50,000 as advance Haj payment, Rs 2,000 as miscellaneous dues and Rs 300 as non-refundable processing fee.
The committee said the payment can be made through the e-payment facility available on the Haj Committee of India’s website or the Haj Suvidha App using a credit card, debit card or net banking.
Alternatively, the pilgrims may deposit the amount through a specified pay-in slip at any branch of the State Bank of India or Union Bank of India using the bank reference number available on the Haj Committee website against each cover number.
The circular also instructed pilgrims to mention the unique bank reference number allotted to each cover in the deposit receipt.
The Haj Committee said a separate circular regarding the selection process for Short Haj, submission of payment receipts, required documents and subsequent procedures will be issued separately.
The committee reiterated that all provisionally selected pilgrims must strictly adhere to the August 10 deadline for depositing the advance Haj amount, warning that failure to do so would result in cancellation of their Haj seat.
