Srinagar, May 5 -- The first batch of 178 Hajj pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir left for Saudi Arabia on Sunday, said officials. The pilgrims, accompanied by their relatives, assembled at Hajj House in Bemina, Srinagar, early in the morning and were taken to the Srinagar international airport in State Road Transport Corporation buses. J&K lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha and chief minister Omar Abdullah flagged off pilgrims from the airport. With moist eyes, the pilgrims said goodbyes to their kith and kin. "We pray for peace in Kashmir. The Pahalgam incident was heartbreaking... we felt devastated," says Nisar Ahmad, a pilgrim from Srinagar. LG Sinha extended greetings and felicitations to the pilgrims. "The divine pilgrimage is a call from the Almighty and a cherished dream. The Centre is committed to ensuring the best-possible arrangements for the well being of pilgrims," LG Sinha said. This year, 3,622 pilgrims from J&K and 242 from Ladakh will perform the Hajj pilgrimage. The Srinagar airport will operate 11 flights between May 4 and 15. CM Omar interacted with the pilgrims at Srinagar airport before their departure. "I wished them a safe, fulfilling journey and requested prayers for peace and prosperity in our region," Omar said. There has been around 50% dip in the number of Hajj pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir this year as compared to 2024, officials said, citing costlier Hajj rates because of discontinuation of subsidy, disinterest of foreign airlines and high temperatures. Last year 7,008 pilgrims from J&K performed the pilgrimage as against 12,079 in 2023. In 2022,around 6,000 pilgrims from J&K and Ladakh performed Hajj pilgrimage. The pilgrimage was not held in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid-related restrictions....