Over 30 lakh people from nearly 150 countries have converged on Mina from Mecca as part of the annual Haj pilgrimage. About 1.6 lakh are from India and Pakistan. All Muslims are required to perform Haj at least once in their lifetime if they have the means to do so. Haj is the largest gathering of Muslims in the world with pilgrims coming from different countries, having different cultures and backgrounds and speaking different languages.