This section requires Real Player plug–in to view the video clips. Download the plug–in. The Hajj is the annual pilgrimage to Mecca that every Muslims is urged to perform once in a lifetime. The Hajj is a dynamic process that changes its shape and purpose as it moves from point to point over several days. Two million people make up the Hajj today, coming from every corner of the world. Each one performs the same rites in the same way. The experience is both shared and public, on the hand, and intensely personal, on the other. For most would-be pilgrims, preparations begin months and sometimes years before the event. From the first step away from home to your last step on pilgrim soil, the whole process is one event with many stages.