IN PICTURES: Muslim pilgrims gather at Mount Arafat for Hajj’s pinnacle

A heavy dust storm that hit large swathes of areas occupied by Hajj pilgrims on Sunday evening delayed their transfer from Mina to Arafat, at least from some camps in the Zone 4 area.

After the storm began clearing, pilgrims started their journey to the desert plains of Arafat.

Dubbed the “most important day of Hajj,” pilgrims spend the day of Arafat in the vicinity of the mountain, praying and repenting.

Reports reaching here said that the gush of winds hit tents in Mina that required restoring, causing the initial delay. Pilgrims were waiting in their camps in Mina for green signal to start the journey.

The sandstorm brought some very light showers causing the temperatures to drop through the night. It also stalled operations such as serving of food to pilgrims.

Men and women had to run for cover and had to ride out the storm before they could start their routine activities.

Camaraderie was visible in the tents of Mina as pilgrims helped each other out in making their stay comfortable. Prayers and chants went on for the good part of the night and, after brief nap, they were all up for morning prayers.