Haj Bhavan in Bangalore, in Bengaluru

From the archive record

Bengaluru can now boast of a Haj Bhavan, a facility thrown open for Haj pilgrims after full 20 years after the city was directly connected with Jeddah in Saudi Arabia for Hajj purposes. A look at the grandiose Haj Bhavan on the Thanisandra Main Road suggests that it was worth the wait. Situated close to the Kempegowda International Airport (just 15 kms south of it), the Haj Bhavan’s façade is a lookalike of the Grenada’s Al-Hamara Palace. Built over 2.75 acres of land, the built-up area provides over two lakh square feet of usable space for pilgrims departing to Makkah for the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Topped with three onion domes, the external court is dominated by a large pleasing fountain. The Haj Bhavan with 100 rooms can accommodate nearly six to seven hundred inmates at a time. The pr