MINA, Saudi Arabia — Masses of pilgrims embarked Sunday on a symbolic stoning of the devil in Saudi Arabia under the soaring summer heat. The ritual marks the final days of the Hajj, or Islamic pilgrimage, and the start of the Eid al-Adha celebrations for Muslims around the world.

The stoning is among the final rites of the Hajj, which is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. It came a day after more than 1.8 million pilgrims congregated at a sacred hill, known as Mount Arafat, outside the holy city of Mecca, which Muslim pilgrims visit to perform the annual five-day rituals of Hajj.

Fourteen Jordanian pilgrims have died from sunstroke during the Hajj, according to Jordan’s state-run Petra news agency. The Foreign Ministry said it has coordinated with Saudi authorities to either bury the dead in Saudi Arabia or transfer them to Jordan.

Mohammed Al-Abdulaali, spokesman for the Saudi Health Ministry, told reporters that more than 2,760 pilgrims suffered from sunstroke and heat stress Sunday. Saudi meteorological authorities said temperatures reached 116.6 F in Mecca and 114.8 in Mina, another sacred place.

Despite the heat, many pilgrims expressed joy at being able to complete their pilgrimage.

“Thank God, (the process) was joyful and good,” said Abdel-Moaty Abu Ghoneima, an Egyptian pilgrim. “No one wants more than this.”

Most countries marked Eid al-Adha on Sunday. Others, like Indonesia, will celebrate it Monday.

All Muslims are required to make the Hajj once in their lives if they are physically and financially able to do so. More than 1.83 million Muslims performed the Hajj in 2024, officials said.