The Akhil Bharatiya Teerth Purohit Mahasabha has given a call for holding special prayer on Akshaya Tritiya on Sunday for containing and eliminating the novel coronavirus pandemic.
"Since neither any vaccine has been developed so far, nor any set treatment is underway, the only alternative is to seek divine blessings to counter it," Mahesh Pathak, president of the outfit, told reporters on Friday.
He claimed that religious activities like yagna had played a "crucial role" in the past to contain any national calamity.
"Maintaining lockdown, organise special prayer in temples of your area on Akshaya Tritiya for containing COVID-19," Pathak said, as he revealed the directions given to members through a circular.
Pathak said Teerth priests all over country were badly hit by financial crunch due to the lockdown.
"Unfortunately neither the Union nor the state governments have declared any special relief to Teerth priests so far," he added.