MINA: Hajj pilgrims advancing through Mina for the final rite are now “stoning the devil” from Jamarat Bridge, throwing 21 pebbles at the three pillars.
Many people wonder where the pebbles go following the stoning ritual at the Jamarat complex in Mina.
Ahmed Al-Subhi, one of the employees of the Kidana Development Company, which is the main developer of the holy sites and is headquartered in Mina, has revealed that the process of dealing with the stones begins immediately after pilgrims complete their rituals at the complex.
He explained that the pebbles fall and eventually settle in the Jamarat facility’s basement, to a depth of 15 meters.
A number of conveyor belts collect the stones and a process starts to sift them and spray them with water to rid them of impurities. They are then transferred to vehicles to be stored later on following the Hajj season.
Experts estimate the tons of pebbles needed according to the number of expected pilgrims.
The holy sites developer provides bags of pebbles to throw at the Jamarat, and some 300 contact points exist for pilgrims in Muzdalifah, in addition to the Jamarat Bridge facility in Mina.
About 2 million pilgrims performing Hajj this year made their way toward the massive multi-story complex at Jamarat in Mina on Wednesday from Muzdalifah, where they camped overnight.
It is at Mina where Muslims believe the devil tried to talk the Prophet Ibrahim out of submitting to God’s will.
Seven stones are thrown at each of the three pillars to commemorate Prophet Ibrahim’s rejection of Satan.
