PM Modi leads country in lighting diyas to express its resolve to win anti-corona battle

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who led people on Sunday to express country's resolve to fight and win the battle against the coronavirus malady, shared his photographs showing himself lighting up a lamp. He shared four pictures showing him lighting up the lamp while standing in darkness. On his twitter handle, he also shared a shloka: "Shubham Karoti Kalyanam, Deepam Shubham Karoti Kalyaannam - Aarogyam Dhana-Sampadaa Shatru-Buddhi-Vinaashaaya Diipa-Jyotir-Namostute," to drive home the message.

Broadly translated, the Sanskrit couplet means salutations to the light of the lamp which brings auspiciousness, health, and prosperity and destroys inimical feelings. Earlier on the day, he had reminded people to light up lamps on Sunday night to show country's collective resolve to fight coronavirus.

"#9pm9minute," the prime minister tweeted to remind people of the exercise. Modi had on Friday had urged people to switch off lights at their homes and light up lamps, candles or mobile phone torches for nine minutes at 9 pm on April 5 to display the country's "collective resolve" to defeat coronavirus.