With applications for Hajj 2026 now closed, thousands of hopeful pilgrims are awaiting the Qurrah — the draw of lots that will determine who can travel for the annual pilgrimage. The Haj Committee of India has confirmed that the Qurrah will take place on August 13, 2025, at 11:30 am at Hajj House in Mumbai.
Qurrah to Be Livestreamed Online
In a statement released on Tuesday, the Haj Committee said the draw will be conducted online and livestreamed via its official website, hajcommittee.gov.in. The list of provisionally selected and waitlisted pilgrims will be published on the same platform, and applicants will also be informed via SMS.
Pilgrims can check their selection status using their cover number. The exact number of applications received for Hajj 2026 has not yet been disclosed, but the pilgrimage is expected to fall between May 24 and May 29, 2026.
Advance Payment and Embarkation Points
All provisionally selected pilgrims must pay an advance amount of ₹1,52,300 by August 20, 2025. Failure to make this payment will result in the cancellation of their application.
For 2026, there will be 18 embarkation points across India, including major cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru, along with several tier-2 cities. Bhopal, Vijayawada, and Aurangabad will not be embarkation points this year. Flight schedules, including inbound and outbound timings, will be announced at a later date.
Short Duration Hajj Package Introduced
As part of its new policy, the Haj Committee has introduced a Short Duration Hajj Package aimed at working professionals. This option allows pilgrims to complete the pilgrimage within 20 days in Saudi Arabia. A total of 10,000 slots are available under this scheme. If applications exceed this number, a separate Qurrah will be held to determine the final list.
India’s total quota for Hajj 2026 under the government scheme is 175,025 pilgrims.
Hajj 2026: Applications Exceed Quota by 60%, Qurrah to Decide Final Pilgrim List
The Haj Committee of India has released updated statistics for Hajj 2026, revealing that the number of applications far exceeds the available quota under the government scheme.
Quota Breakdown
India’s total Hajj quota for 2026 has been set at 1,75,025 pilgrims. Of this, the Haj Committee of India has been allocated 1,22,518 seats. After deductions — including 500 seats reserved for the Mehram (ladies without male guardians) quota and 817 seats for State Hajj Inspectors — the net quota available for selection through the Qurrah stands at 1,21,201.
In addition to the Haj Committee allocation, 52,507 seats are reserved for private tour operators.
Applications Far Exceed Available Seats
As of August 9, 2025, the Haj Committee has received 1,94,000 application forms for Hajj 2026. This represents 160 percent of the available government quota after deductions, meaning demand will outstrip supply by a significant margin.
The final selection of pilgrims will be determined through the Qurrah draw scheduled for August 13, 2025.