Pilgrims move between Mina and Makkah as Eid-day Hajj rituals continue smoothly

MINA: Many pilgrims this year began performing Tawaf Al-Ifadah at the Grand Mosque in Makkah on Wednesday after carrying out the symbolic stoning of the devil in Mina, marking the beginning of the final phase of Hajj and the start of Eid Al-Adha celebrations for Muslims worldwide.

Eid day began with crowds of pilgrims gathering at the Jamarat complex in Mina to perform the stoning ritual.

This ritual, which commemorates Prophet Ibrahim’s rejection of Satan’s temptations, is among the most spiritually significant and logistically complex rites of Hajj.

Pilgrims began throwing pebbles at Jamrat Al-Aqaba, the largest of the three stone structures at the Jamarat facility, before proceeding with other Eid-day rituals, including animal sacrifice, shaving or trimming hair for men, and Tawaf Al-Ifadah.

In temperatures approaching 44°C, according to the National Center for Meteorology, pilgrim movement toward the Jamarat Bridge and surrounding areas proceeded in an organized, gradual flow, with groups distributed over different levels in accordance with the operational plan.