Happiness and thankfulness as Indonesian pilgrims start their Hajj this year
Happiness and thankfulness as Indonesian pilgrims start their Hajj this year JAKARTA: When M. Andra Rachmanda arrived in Madinah at the beginning of June, he was overtaken with emotion as he realised a lifetime desire of performing the Hajj. Rachmanda is one of 241,000 Indonesians who are carrying out the one of Islam's five pillars this year: the pilgrimage. "When I first came in Saudi Arabia, I experienced a mixture of surprise, happiness, and humility. Rachmanda told Arab News, "The atmosphere has a deep spiritual aura, and the air feels different here." "I was extremely moved and appreciative when I eventually went to places of worship like Masjid Al-Haram in Makkah and Al-Masjid Al-Nabawi in Madinah. I was moved and thought it was a dream come true when I first laid eyes on the Kaaba.” Travellers from Indonesia began arriving in Saudi Arabia in mid-May, leaving earlier to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do their religious duty,