30 sadhus, incljuding some akhada heads participating in the mega Kumbh Mela at Uttarakhand's Haridwar, have tested positive for Covid-19.
The infected sadhus include Mahant Narendra Giri, the leader of the All India Akhada Parishad, who has been admitted to the AIIMS Rishikesh.
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Another prominent sadhu - Swami Kapil Dev from Madhya Pradesh, who was the leader of the Maha Nirvani Akhada, died while being treated for a coronavirus infection at a private hospital in Dehradun.
The Niranjani Akhada - the second largest of more than 13 religious groups at the Kumbh - has decided to pull out of the Kumbh on Saturday, nearly two weeks before the schedueld close, due to rising Covid infections.
Over 2,000 people from the Kumbh area tested positive for the coronavirus in the first five days between April 10 to 15.
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