With lakhs of people lighting lamps in their balconies and roofs on Sunday night to honour Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to express their solidarity in the nation's fight against coronavirus, Diwali 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 the clock even struck 9.
Some people in the state capital blew conch shells and burst firecrackers on this occasion. The bursting of firecrackers continued at least till 9.15 pm.
In Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Speaker of UP Legislative Assembly Hriday Narayan Dixit lit lamps at their official residences.
Adityanath lit lamps arranged in the shape of 'Om'. UP Governor Anandiben Patel also lit lamps at the Raj Bhavan here.
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Both the Deputy Chief Ministers of UP, Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma, lit lamps along with their family members. UP Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi too lit an earthen lamp at his official residence in Lucknow.
In his message on this occasion, Adityanath said, "People from every section of the society have extended their support to the nationwide lockdown. This act also shows India's unity and its power in the world. I am of the view that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country has shown unity, and this will bring good results. Corona will be defeated, India will win and the entire world will experience the collective strength of 130 crore population."
The UP chief minister thanked the people of the state for lighting lamps, candles, turning on torches and flashlights of their mobile phones.
"I urge that till lockdown exists, people must observe social distancing, extend their co-operation, then we will be able to take the war against corona to a new height of success," Adityanath said.
People from different walks of life answered the prime minister's call to express solidarity in the nation's fight against coronavirus.
Lamps were lit in Varanasi, Allahabad, Meerut, Gautam Buddh Nagar and in other cities as well.
Muslim cleric Khalid Rashid Firangi Mahali also turned on the flashlight of his mobile phone at Lucknow's Eidgaah.
Despite apprehensions, there were no immediate reports of any disruption in the power supply.
The All India Power Engineers Federation has congratulated power engineers and employees for secure and reliable operation of the power grid, Shailendra Dubey, chairman of AIPEF, said in a statement here.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday 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".
Some, however, decided to ignore the appeal.
Social activist and Aam Aadmi Party member Nutan Thakur said, "I did not light a lamp. The reason is that I feel the move not logical, but a political one. But my husband did it since he is a government servant.
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