Hyderabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the Dia Jalao clarion call to the nation to send out a symbolic message from the 1.3 billion Indians in the fight against the dreaded Coronavirus. Responding to the call and starting at the stroke of 9 pm on Sunday night, 5th April, 2020, entire India came together and diligently switched off lights in their homes; lit candles, oil lamps, flashed lights of their mobile phones even as many places reverberated with slogans of 'Bharat Maata Ki Jai'. But those who may have anticipated a subdued observance of the prime minister's call at a critical time of COVID-19 pandemic were in for a pleasant surprise.

Minutes into the 'light the Lamp' campaign, many parts of India broke into a celebratory mood with hordes of people bursting crackers, as if welcoming Diwali, the festival that symbolises the victory of good over evil, many months early. With this, came out a strong sense of resilience, which is what PM Modi and leaders across the nation including YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and K Chandrasekhar Rao, the chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana respectively, appealed for -- the show of strength, courage and determination to combat and kill the invisible virus.

From Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Chief Ministers of different states, every prominent leader took part in the call.

शुभं करोति कल्याणमारोग्यं धनसंपदा ।
शत्रुबुद्धिविनाशाय दीपज्योतिर्नमोऽस्तुते ॥ pic.twitter.com/4DeiMsCN11
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 5, 2020

In Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, accompanied by officials, lit a candle and took part in the vigil throughout the nine minutes at his camp office cum residence in Tadepally. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhara Rao, along with Health Minister Etela Rajender and other senior officials, lit candles at Pragathi Bhavan leading the show of solidarity of the Telangana people.