11 sadhus of Swaminarayan sect test coronavirus positive in Gujarat
AHMEDABAD: Eleven sadhus belonging to one of the divisions of the Swaminarayan sect, which has its temple in Maninagar area here in Gujarat, have tested positive for coronavirus over the last one week, a health official said on Wednesday.
They belonged to Maninagar 'panth' or denomination of the sect.
While five sadhus were staying in the premises of the Maninanagr temple in Ahmedabad, six others stayed in other localities, said Deputy Health Officer, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), Dr Tejas Shah.
All the 11 infected sadhus are currently undergoing treatment at different hospitals, said Dr Shah.
He said five of the six sadhus were staying in New Ranip area of Ahmedabad while one in Bavla village near here.
Swami Bhagvatpriyadas of the Maninagar temple said the premises have been sanitised after the cases were detected around a week back.
"The temple is already closed for devotees. As a precautionary measure, we have sent many of our sadhus to towns such as Kadi and Viramgam. Only nine sadhus are currently staying in the temple premises," he said.
As of June 30, the number of COVID-19 cases in Gujarat stood at 32,446 with 1,848 deaths.