Homes in Jaipur flicker with diyas, candles on PM's call amid lockdown

Chants of Bharat Mata Ki Jai' reverberated and the night sky illuminated with fire crackers in Rajasthan's capital as people switched off lights at their homes and lit candles, diyas or turned on their mobile phone torch at 9 pm on Sunday amid the nationwide lockdown.

The scene was evident across the city in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to show the nation's collective resolve and solidarity in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

As the clock struck 9 pm, lights were turned off in most of the houses and people gathered in their balconies and porches to light diyas and candles.

Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra, former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, BJP state president Satish Poonia, Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan Assembly Gulab Chand Kataria and other leaders responded to the appeal made by the PM.

Several people, including children, enthusiastically took to microphones connected to their speakers to raise Bharat Mata Ki Jai' chants and even sang patriotic songs for almost half an hour to display their collective resolve and solidarity in the fight against the deadly disease.

PM Modi had on Friday urged people across the country to switch off the lights at their homes and light up lamps, candles or mobile phone torches for nine minutes at 9 pm to display the country's collective resolve to defeat the coronavirus pandemic.