Raipur residents decorate terrace, balconies with lamps

Chhattisgarh's capital Raipur wore a festive look at 9 pm on Sunday with people in most parts of the city decorating terrace and balconies of their house with earthen lamps while fireworks lit up the evening sky. Responding to the appeal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to show unity in fight against COVID-19 pandemic, people switched off lights of their houses and lit up diyas (earthen lamps) and candles on the terraces, balconies and at the doorstep of their house.

Youth were seen using flashlights of their mobile phones and bursting firecrackers on the terraces of their houses to mark the united fight against global pandemic. However, unlike the Janata curfew day (March 22) when people in most places had came out on streets in some areas of the capital, this time citizens remained indoors.

"We had made arrangements of earthen lamps like we do in Diwali. At 9 pm, we switched off lights and lit lamps on the terrace, said Manish Patel, a Purani Basti area-based businessman.

People were heard shouting slogans of Bharat Mata ki jai and hum sab ek hai( we all are united). Similar scenes were witnessed in other parts of the city, where some people were also seen bursting crackers outside houses.

BJP legislative party leader Dharamlal Kaushik, former chief minister Raman Singh, Raipur BJP MP Sunil Soni and former speaker of Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly Gaurishankar Agrawal also posted their photos holding lamps and candles in hands along with family members at their residences, on social media.