It looked like an early Diwali as people express resolve to fight corona crisis

With lakhs of city residents lighting a 'diya' each on Sunday in their balconies on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to express their solidarity in the nation's fight against the coronavirus spread, Deppawali seemed to have arrived months earlier in the city.

In some cities of the state like Bahraich, some people started lighting lamps and candles before 9.00 pm itself.

Some people in the state capital blew conch shells and exploded firecrackers on this occasion to express their solidarity. The explosion of firecrackers continued at least till 9.15 pm.

In Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the speaker of UP Legislative Assembly too lit lamps at their official residences in Lucknow.

Adityanath lit lamps arranged in the shape of 'Om'.

People from different walks of life lit lamps, candles and also turned on torches and flashlight of their mobile phones to express their collective resolve to defeat coronavirus.

Despite apprehensions, there was no disruption to the power grid.

There were no immediate reports of disruption of power supply.

Prime Minister Modi on Friday had urged people to light candles on April 5 and display India's collective resolve to defeat coronavirus.

Modi urged people to turn off lights at their homes and light candles, lamps or turn on mobile phone torches at 9.00 pm on Sunday for nine minutes to "end the darkness" of coronavirus".