MINA: Hajj pilgrims headed to Jamarat Bridge on Sunday, where they threw 21 pebbles at its three pillars on the first Tashreeq day.

Pilgrims return to their tents after stoning the pillars, ending the main rituals of the first of the Tashreeq days, the first three days following the 10th of Dul Hijjah when Muslims celebrate Eid Al-Adha.

The pilgrims were grouped before moving to the massive Jamarat Bridge for the ritual, beginning from around 12:20 p.m. as this is when most Muslim scholars agree to be the start of the process.

People can stone the pillars any time from midday to midnight on the same day of the ritual.

There were multiple paths to distribute crowds onto Jamarat Bridge to ensure smooth movement and safety.

Their movement was closely monitored by Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, who is also the head of the Supreme Hajj Committee, along with his deputy Prince Badr bin Sultan.

The infrastructure showpiece has 12 entrances, 12 exit roads from four directions, two tunnels, 19 ramps, escalators, emergency exits, helipads, six service buildings, and an air-conditioning system with water sprinklers to cool the atmosphere and reduce the area’s temperature to 29 degrees Celsius.

Wichita Ahmad from Sumatra, Indonesia, who came to Saudi Arabia with her husband for a one-year job contract, spoke to Arab News at Jamarat bridge.

“This is so wonderful, it is our first Hajj experience, we never imagined we could do it, especially during these times,” she said, adding: “I really loved how the journey went smoothly, and the services were all great, especially time management, transportation, and food services.”

Her husband said: “One of the things I liked most was the cooling system of our tents.”

Alyaa Alsaid, from Egypt, said: “Alhamdulillah, I had a very easy stoning experience, I have performed Hajj before and I can clearly see a big difference now due to the number of pilgrims this year.”

She added: “Alhamdulillah everyone was very collaborative and supportive when it came to serving pilgrims. I would like to send my special thanks to all Saudi volunteers and Saudi Arabia for the huge efforts they put to make this Hajj a success.”

Saudi security authorities, health workers, and other government agencies taking part in this Hajj season have been providing services to pilgrims to help them perform their rituals easily and comfortably.

The Ministry of Health has said there have been no outbreaks of any disease that could affect public health during this Hajj. It also confirmed that the Hajj plans were running smoothly and safely.

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