Tens of thousands of Muslim pilgrims in Saudi Arabia threw stones at three pillars symbolising the devil yesterday, the second day of a three-day ritual before the official end of the annual haj. The pilgrims, wearing only two seamless white cloths, moved to Jamaraat, the site of the three pillars, carrying pebbles and chanting "God is greatest".
Many pilgrims spent the night in the open air. Witnesses said the one-mile Jamaraat bridge was packed with pilgrims sleeping on the ground to ensure an early start to the stoning site.
The plain at Mena where the pilgrims are staying is covered with thousands of fire-proof tents, erected by Saudi Arabia for the pilgrims to prevent a repeat of a 1997 fire which ripped through a tent city there, killing 343 people. Saudi officials said this year's haj, performed by 1.7 million people from about 100 countries, has so far passed without major incident amid massive efforts by Saudi Arabia to ensure a safe pilgrimage.
