Kolkata:
Most houses in West Bengal went dark at the stroke of 9 pm on Sunday as people came out to their balconies and rooftops with flickering candles and flashlights of mobiles after switching off the electric lights in their buildings in response to an appeal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to show the nation’s “collective resolve and solidarity” in its fight against coronavirus.
Little children stood patiently as their mothers lit up candles in the balconies and guarded the light against the wind for nine minutes as called for by Modi, before clapping to mark the culmination.
Men and women of different ages and background came out enthusiastically to the rooftops of their buildings or at the doors of their tenements with diyas, lighted torches or mobile flashlights.
Lights were switched off at the Raj Bhawan and diyas were lit in response to the call given by the prime minister.
Women of some households blew conch shells, a traditional ritual to ward off the evil and usher in the good during the nine-minute show of solidarity.
A few people, however, chose to continue their daily chores as usual.
Some over-enthusiastic men came out on the streets flashing torch lights and shouting “go corona, go.”
They even shut out the street lights as some others burst fire crackers and released paper lanterns in the sky.
