In a show of solidarity with fellow countrymen, people across India came together Sunday evening and lit candles, earthen lamps (diyas), torches and mobile phone flashlights to spread the message of hope and light in India’s battle against the novel coronavirus.
Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call, people in India switched off the lights in their homes at 9 pm and then lit candles and diyas and shone torches and cellphone flashlights to send out a message to Indians that they were together in this fight against COVID-19 and that no one is alone in it.
In many parts, people burst crackers and played shankh (conch shell), rang bells, and played Gayatri Mantra too.
The symbolism of the move was well appreciated by people across India with reports coming in that in many places, people started lighting up diyas and candles much before the appointed hour.
Here’s how people supported PM Modi’s initiative:
Delhi: PM @narendramodi lights a lamp after turning off all lights at his residence.
“शुभं करोति कल्याणमारोग्यं धनसंपदा ।
शत्रुबुद्धिविनाशाय दीपज्योतिर्नमोऽस्तुते ॥ ” he tweeted. pic.twitter.com/LGTWYk0BqX— NewsMobile (@NewsMobileIndia) April 5, 2020
#TamilNadu: People form the map of India, by lighting earthen lamps in Chennai, following the call of PM Modi to switch off all the lights of houses today at 9 PM for 9 minutes, and just light a candle, ‘diya’, or mobile’s flashlight, to mark India’s fight against #Coronavirus. pic.twitter.com/LOMuWoFg3r
— NewsMobile (@NewsMobileIndia) April 5, 2020
#Ghaziabad: People light up candles following the call of PM Modi to switch off all the lights of houses today at 9 PM for 9 minutes, and just light a candle, ‘diya’, or mobile’s flashlight, to mark India’s fight against #Coronavirus. pic.twitter.com/mNzDg6ilms
— NewsMobile (@NewsMobileIndia) April 5, 2020
Gujarat: Mother of #PMModi, Heeraben, lights an earthen lamp after turning off all lights at her residence. India switched off all the lights for 9 minutes at 9 PM today & just lit a candle, ‘diya’, or flashlight, to mark India’s fight against #Coronavirus as per PM’s appeal. pic.twitter.com/wIfL5oWwwz
— NewsMobile (@NewsMobileIndia) April 5, 2020
Delhi: Home Minister @AmitShah lights earthen lamps after turning off all lights at his residence. PM had appealed to the nation to switch off all lights of houses today at 9 PM for 9 minutes,& just light a candle, ‘diya’, or flashlight, to mark India’s fight against #Coronavirus pic.twitter.com/0v3ss45XUb
— NewsMobile (@NewsMobileIndia) April 5, 2020
Lok Sabha Speaker @ombirlakota lights up earthern lamps along with family. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had appealed to the nation to switch off all lights of houses today at 9 PM for 9 minutes,& just light a candle, ‘diya’, or flashlight, to mark India’s fight against #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/Y8SLOMgVnW
— NewsMobile (@NewsMobileIndia) April 5, 2020
Delhi: People light earthen lamps and candles in the balcony of their houses in the national capital. PM Modi had appealed to all to switch off all lights of their houses today at 9 PM for 9 minutes&just light candles&diyas, to mark the fight against #Coronavirus. pic.twitter.com/dFjoRVcYgA
— NewsMobile (@NewsMobileIndia) April 5, 2020
Defence Minister @rajnathsingh lights up earthen lamps along with his family. PM had appealed to the nation to switch off all lights of houses today at 9 PM for 9 min, & just light a candle, ‘diya’, or flashlight, to mark India’s fight against #COVID19 https://t.co/gEq2DAfZqc pic.twitter.com/pWiwdMu48H
— NewsMobile (@NewsMobileIndia) April 5, 2020
Lucknow: UP CM @myogiadityanath lights earthen lamps to form an ‘Om’, at his residence. PM Modi had appealed to the nation to switch off all lights of houses today at 9 PM for 9 minutes, and just light a candle, ‘diya’, or flashlight, to mark India’s fight against #Coronavirus. pic.twitter.com/q6hVmoGMta
— NewsMobile (@NewsMobileIndia) April 5, 2020
At home, 9 pm: lighting diyas for some moments of mindfulness and thinking of our community, even as we work day and night as one nation: Finance Minister @nsitharaman. #COVID19 https://t.co/gEq2DAfZqc pic.twitter.com/GRv9XuZDwk
— NewsMobile (@NewsMobileIndia) April 5, 2020
On April 3, Prime Minister Modi had addressed the nation and asked people to show their solidarity during the coronavirus outbreak on April 5, Sunday, at 9 pm for 9 minutes by lighting candles and diyas or by switching on their mobile phone flashlights.