Coronavirus: Renowned gurudwara in Maharashtra's Nanded shut

Aurangabad May 1 () The holy Takht Hazur SahibSachkhand Gurudwara and Gurudwara Langar Sahib in Nanded inMaharashtra were sealed on Friday after a batch of pilgrimswho left from here to Punjab were found infected with thecoronavirus during tests conducted in the northern state,officials said.

The number of COVID-19 patients in this batch thatleft from Nanded, some 250 kilometres from here, to Punjabstands at 148 as on Friday, an official said.

"The gurudwara and langar (community kitchen) havebeen closed from Friday," he said.

Speaking on the issue, Superintendent Gurvinder SinghWadhwa said, "District and civic officials reached thegurudwara in the morning today and directed that it be closedand the langar service be stopped."

Wadhwa added that the batch of pilgrims who left fromhere to Punjab had been tested at the local governmenthospital for the virus and none showed any symptoms.

The pilgrims had made halts at Indore, one of thecountry's worst coronavirus-affected cities, Bhilwara andHanumangarh in Rajasthan, and Bhatinda in Punjab en route,gurudwara functionaries said.

Baba Balwinder Singh of Langar Sahib said there aresome 175 people from different states in the complex at themoment and no one is allowed to go out or come in due to theoutbreak. AWBNM BNM