MUMBAI: As Haj pilgrims have begun to take off on their pilgrimage to Mecca , the things that pilgrims have been advised not to carry include Viagra, sexual oils and creams.

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The Haj Committee of India (HCOI), which comes under the ministry of external affairs, has issued an advisory asking pilgrims to refrain from carrying Viagra, sexual oil and creams, and items such as pornography material and narcotics, among other things. The advisory has not gone down well with a section of community leaders. Flights have started taking off from August 16 for the Haj, which will be performed on September 22.

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The circular was given out to all those who were administered vaccine against meningitis. Taking the flu shot is recommended in addition to other quarantine requirements for every pilgrim. Vaccination is taken at least 10 days before pilgrims arrive into the holy cities. Though Haj is performed in and around Mecca, pilgrims visit Medina too, to pay their respects to Prophet Muhammad’s shrine there.

Apart from administering vaccination, pilgrims are being informed that products banned for import into the Saudi Arabia must not be carried. This sensitization happens during Haj training sessions HCOI and several voluntary organizations hold across the country.

“Despite issuing guidelines and holding training sessions, there have been specific instances from certain embarkation points during Haj 2013 and 2014, where pilgrims have been caught with sexual stimulants like Viagra tablets, sexual oil, creams, etcetera. This is a very serious issue, which needs to be dealt with seriously,” the advisory said. “Despite the divine commandments that no illegal activities should be carried out during Haj, some pilgrims in the past were found to be smuggling in items like Viagra, sexual oil and creams and many other things, which are banned in Saudi Arabia. We have inserted this advisory in the Haj application forms too,” said Ataur Rahman, CEO, Haj Committee of India.

However, the advisory against carrying sexual stimulants has not gone down well with some community leaders. “People go on Haj not to seek pleasure, but to perform some rituals as commanded by Allah. During Haj, the pilgrims abstain from sex. A general advisory against carrying items like Viagra and sexual oil will mean as if this is common practice and only shows how certain officials paint Muslims as sex maniacs who cannot do without sex even during Haj,” said M A Khalid of All India Milli Council.

The other prohibited things include khash-khash, synthetic capore, cystone, khammera, gutkha, khaini, gul, piper mint or narcotics in any form, political literature and even photographs. People found carrying these items are liable to punishment including life imprisonment and even death penalty.

This year, one lakh Indian pilgrims will perform Haj through Haj Committee while 36,000 will go through private tour operators (PTOs).