Colombo eases travel costs for Hajj pilgrims
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An estimated 5800 Hajj pilgrims will travel to Mecca from Sri Lanka this year to fulfil their religions obligations. According to the Dinamina newspaper the Sri Lanka government has made arrangements to provide concessionary rates for all pilgrims in comparison to other years when each pilgrim had to pay as much as LNR525,000 (INR2 lakhs) for the holy trip. Colombo appointed a special Hajj Committee to find ways to reduce the financial burden faced by pilgrims. Discussions were held between Saudi hotels and the tourism authority after which Sri Lankan pilgrims were offered a better deal for accommodation, thereby bringing the cost down to LKR325,000 per pilgrim in comparison to the LKR 525,000 in previous years. The first charter flight from Colombo to Saudi was also arranged to carry 357 travellers to their sacred destination.
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