10 Things to Take Care of While Lighting Diya Tonight

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed to the citizens of India to stand united in the fight against Coronavirus. In the second such gesture in last 15 days, ever since the fight intensified with countrywide lockdown, affecting all commercial activities, PM has appealed the citizens to turn off the lights in their houses and light a lamp for 9 minutes, candle or torch whichever possible in their balconies or front doors at 9:00 PM on 5th April. #9pm9minute

A video messsage to my fellow Indians. https://t.co/rcS97tTFrH

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 3, 2020

Things to Remember While Lighting the Lamps at Night

However, let’s not forget, this is not a celebration of victory, and so comes with the caveats of the ongoing struggle against the Novel Coronavirus. Here’s a list of nine things you must take care of on this night while lighting the lamps:

1. Maintain social distance and do not gather on the road or society compound in groups.
2. Use only balcony, rooftop or front door of the house whichever ensures compliance with the first point.
3. Keep the candles, diya's, or torch handy before you go on turning off the lights in your house. Especially if you have a child in your house. Also, make sure the child is communicated and informed properly about the activity.
4. Do not use sanitizer right before lighting Diya or candle. Hand sanitizers contain alcohol, which can catch fire instantly, but the flames are not visible. Your clothes or anything else can still catch fire if there are invisible flames on your hand.
5. You can keep a bucket of water in your balcony or closeby wherever you are lighting a lamp, just to be on the safe side.
6. This is not a celebration as the fight against Coronavirus is far from over. This is an effort to show solidarity with other citizens and the frontline fighters against coronavirus. Since we have been practicing social distancing with less and less outside connect, this is one way to show solidarity with those who may only see us from afar.
7. Try and explain to your child too, about the significance of today’s activity and about the people (doctors and medical staff, emergency workers, police, civil administration, etc.) leading this fight.
8. Wear comfortable clothes while lighting lamps. Try traditional cotton or khadi, if available.
9. Keep your first aid kit handy.
10. If you do not have a candle or diya at home, you need not buy it from the market. You can also use a mobile torch or even create a diya quickly with wheat flour. Heat the flour lamp on the gas a little so it becomes hard and stable before using it.

Read, inform your child and stay safe. Most importantly wash your hands and practice social distancing.